Social security scheme
The social security scheme insures workers through the payment of contributions.
The scheme provides benefits if you are unable to work through ill-health, maternity, or in old age.
Contributions are received from employees, employers and Class 2 individuals. The States of Jersey also makes an annual contribution into the fund.
In 2020:
- total benefit expenditure from the social security fund was £263.6 million
- income from contributions totalled £240 million; in 2020 the usual States grant to the Social Security fund was due to be £65.3m, but this was diverted to the COVID-19 response, so there was no grant to the Social Security fund in 2020
- total Social Security funds were £2,314 million, an annual increase of £105 million largely due to investment gains
- over 32,000 people received an old age pension
- over 800 mothers claimed a maternity allowance
Number of individuals claiming benefit on 31 December 2019
| Pensions | 32,595
|
Survivor's benefit
| 580
|
| Long-term incapacity allowance | 4,184
|
The above benefits are normally paid for relatively long periods of time.
Other benefits, shown in the table below, are paid for shorter periods.
Number of claims paid during 2018
| Death grant | 790
|
| Maternity allowance | 865
|
| Short-term incapacity allowance | 25,560
|
Health insurance fund
The health insurance fund subsidises GP visits and prescriptions for most Jersey residents (also called the 'health scheme').
A total of £34.8 million was spent on benefits from the health fund in 2020. The fund had a balance of £107.9 million at 31 December 2020, £0.2 million higher than at the end of 2019.
Further health insurance fund statistics are available to download from OpenData.gov.je.
Long-term care scheme
A new long-term care scheme was set up at the end of 2013.
This ring-fenced fund is designed to collect long-term care contributions from tax payers. It also gives benefit payments to adults who have long-term care needs.
In total, £55.3 million was paid out in long-term care benefit in 2020. The long-term care fund had a balance of £36.6 million at 31 December 2020, an increase of £10.6 million from the end of 2019.
As at 31 December 2020, 1,379 individuals were supported through the long-term care scheme.
Further long-term care scheme statistics are available to download from OpenData.gov.je.
Income support
Income Support is a single, means-tested benefit available to individuals who have a low household income, pass the Income Support residence test, and are working, looking for work, or exempt from looking for work. This benefit provides financial support towards the costs of housing, living, health needs, and childcare. Since individuals claim on a household basis, multiple individuals may be supported by a single claim.
Active Income Support claims
Source: ESSH, download the chart data
On 31 December 2019, there were 5,625 income support claims being paid, supporting 7,091 adults and approx. 3,110 children.
Summary of income support expenditure
| Income support (excluding special payments) | £70.6 million |
| Income support special payments | £0.7 million |
Household types with income support claims on 31 December 2019
The table below shows the number of adults and children by household type for income support claims.
| 65+ | 1,754
| 2,053
| < 10 |
| Adult/s without children | 2,050
| 2,361
| 0 |
| Adults with children | 790
| 1,646
| 1,532
|
| Single adult with children | 1,031
| 1,031
| 1,573
|
Other tax funded benefits
There are several other tax funded benefits including:
cold weather bonus
Christmas bonus
TV licence
Jersey 65+ health scheme
In 2017, 3,927 people received a Christmas bonus payment.
Further Income Support statistics are available to download from OpenData.gov.je.
Health and Safety Inspectorate
The Health and Safety Inspectorate is the regulatory authority of health and safety at work in the Island.
In 2019 there were 531 work-related accidents and 952 incidents of work related ill health reported through claims made for social security benefit. There were no fatal accidents.
Incidents of work-related accidents and ill health reported for social security benefits
Source: Health and Safety Inspectorate,
download the chart data
In 2020, the Health and Safety Inspectorate carried out:
- 59 investigations into serious accidents and incidents
- 374 proactive inspections of high risk workplaces, which included 238 inspections of reviewing control of COVID-19
There were 3 prosecutions under health and safety at work legislation heard in the Royal Court during 2020.
In addition 62 enforcement notices were served by inspectors, of which 35 were immediate prohibition notices and 27 were improvement notices. Statistics for Inspectorate activities in earlier years are availabe to download from OpenData.gov.je.
gov.je