Rule 18

Retirement Benefit

Eligibility
1. Any member who is retired from employment at or after the normal retiring age, or who is retired in accordance with redundancy and re-settlement arrangements after the age of 55 years, or who is rendered permanently incapable by reason of infirmity from following employment as defined in Rule 2, Clause 1, shall be entitled to claim and be paid Retirement Benefit at the rate of £3 for each completed year's membership after the 1st January 1965, and £5 from 1st September 2003.

Disablement
2. Members of the Disablement Fund as at the 31st December 1964 will be entitled to additional Retirement Benefit at the rate of £3 per year for each completed year's membership of that fund prior to the 1st January 1965.

Application
3. Any member of the Union claiming Retirement Benefit shall make application to the Union on the form provided for that purpose, stating thereon to whom the benefit shall be paid in the event of the member's death before the claim has been granted. In the event of death occurring after retirement but before the member has made application, the entitlement to Retirement Benefit shall not be affected, and the grant shall be paid to the next of kin or legal representative

Method of Payment
4. The payment of Retirement Benefit shall be made through the Branch to which the member belongs, from and by Head Office.

Non-Entitlement to Other Benefits
5. Any member having received Retirement Benefit shall not be entitled to any further monetary benefits as provided by virtue of Rules 17, 19, 20 or 22.

Shipping Grade members Old Age Grant
6. This Rule shall apply to Shipping members except those who, on the effective date, having been members of the National Union of Seamen for 20 years or more, shall be entitled to claim an old age grant in the form of a lump sum payment in accordance with the following scale:

after 25 years’ membership £250
after 30 years’ membership £300
after 35 years’ membership £350

Subject to clauses 7 to 9 of this Rule.

7. A claim for this benefit must be made within six months of the claimant attaining the qualifying age and/or qualifying period of membership. Claims must be submitted to a Branch or to the General Secretary.

8. The benefits of this Rule shall be given only to those who have been members of the Union during the 25 years preceding the date on which they retired, and to members who are certified as totally incapacitated as a result of blindness, industrial injury or chronic ill-health.

9.    The benefits of this rule shall not be given to members whilst in employment which brings them into competition with their fellow members. Any member who, having received the Old Age Grant thereafter taking up seagoing employment, shall thereby forfeit any right thereafter to receive the Old Age Grant unless the National Executive Committee, upon application in writing by the member, shall be satisfied with the explanation and allow thereafter receipt of each grant.

Weekly Grant
10. The payment of a weekly grant of £1 until death to those members of the National Union of Seamen who, on the effective date, were entitled to receive it, shall continue to be made.

Appeal
11.    In the event of the General Secretary refusing a member’s application for retirement benefit, the member’s Branch shall be advised of the reason. The Branch may on behalf of the member, appeal to the National Executive Committee.