Antigua Barbuda Social Security Board

What Antigua Barbuda Social Security Board does

The Antigua and Barbuda Social Security Board (ABSSB) is a government statutory body established in 1973 under the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, operating as the sole mandated social security administrator for the country's working population. Every employed and self-employed person is required to register with ABSSB before commencing work, and the entity collects mandatory contributions from public sector workers (15% of insurable earnings as of 2025, split 8% employer / 7% employee), private sector workers (16% total, 8%/8% split), and self-employed persons (10%), capped at $78,000 in maximum annual insurable earnings. The organization's core offering is a portfolio of statutory cash benefits — sickness, maternity, invalidity, age (pension), survivor's, and funeral grants of $2,500 — with the pensionable age set at 65 effective January 1, 2025.

ABSSB operates an eBusiness portal (socialsecurity.gov.ag) that enables employers to file R5A monthly remittance forms, manage employee records, and view contribution histories online, while employees can track contribution records, check benefit claim status, and update contact information. Benefit payouts are distributed via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) through a network of more than 20 financial institutions including CIBC FirstCaribbean, Eastern Caribbean Amalgamated Bank, APUA Credit Union, and various cooperatives, with physical cheque payments for short-term benefits discontinued effective April 1, 2025. The Board operates from a headquarters at Long Street, St. John's, supplemented by satellite offices in Barbuda (Codrington) and English Harbour.

The entity is governed by a Board of Directors and led by Director David Matthias, who in 2022 was elected First Vice President of the Inter-American Conference on Social Security (CISS) — only the second Caribbean representative to hold such a position. ABSSB is a long-standing member of CISS and participates in CARICOM cross-border social security coordination, facilitating benefit portability for workers across the Caribbean community.

Name

Antigua Barbuda Social Security Board

Legal name

Antigua and Barbuda Social Security Board

Website

https://socialsecurity.gov.ag

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Antigua and Barbuda Social Security Board (ABSSB) is the sole statutory social security authority for Antigua and Barbuda, collecting mandatory contributions from all employed and self-employed persons and administering sickness, maternity, invalidity, age, survivor, and funeral benefits since 1973.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

St. John's

HQ country

Antigua & Barbuda

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Social Security Contributions: ABSSB collects mandatory contributions from three categories: Public sector workers at 15% (employer 8%, employee 7% as of 2025), Private sector workers at 16% (employer 8%, employee 8% as of 2025), and Self-employed persons at 10% of insurable earnings. Maximum annual insurable earnings is $78,000.
2. Contribution Administration Fees: Fees charged for incomplete or incorrect R5A forms ($100 per incorrect page) and replacement of lost social security cards ($30), contribution history letters ($30).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ABSSB administers Antigua and Barbuda's statutory social security scheme. It collects mandatory contributions from public sector, private sector, and self-employed persons, and pays out six categories of cash benefits: sickness, maternity, invalidity, age (pension), survivor's, and funeral grants. It also operates an eBusiness portal for online contribution management and distributes benefits electronically via EFT to a network of domestic financial institutions.

Product overview

The Antigua and Barbuda Social Security Board (ABSSB) provides a comprehensive social security system for the nation. The core offerings consist of the eBusiness Portal (an electronic business platform for online contribution management and benefit claims) alongside a portfolio of statutory benefits including Sickness, Maternity, Invalidity, Age, Survivor's, and Funeral benefits. The organization collects contributions from employers (public sector at 15%, private sector at 16%, self-employed at 10% as of 2025) and distributes pension and benefit payments to beneficiaries through multiple financial institution partners. Additional services include various registration forms, remittance forms, and life certificate verification processes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• eBusiness Portal Electronic business portal providing online services for employers and employees to manage contributions, view contribution history, submit remittance data online, update contact details, and track benefit claim status.
• Sickness Benefits Cash benefit paid to insured persons absent from work due to a certified illness other than that caused by employment injury.
• Maternity Benefits Allowance and/or grant payable to women who have given birth to a child.
• Invalidity Benefits Cash benefit payable to insured persons with invalidity conditions who have satisfied contribution requirements.
• Age Benefits (Pension) Pension or grant payable to insured persons who have reached pensionable age (65 years as of 2025) and have satisfied the required contribution conditions.
• Survivor's Benefits Cash benefits payable to survivors of deceased insured persons.
• Funeral Grant Lump sum payment of $2,500 payable upon death of an insured person to the person who paid the funeral costs.
• Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Payment Service Electronic payment method for remitting monthly contributions by self-employed persons and employers, and for distributing pension and short-term benefit payments to beneficiaries' bank accounts.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Inter-American Conference on Social Security (CISS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 October 2022ABSSB Director David Matthias was elected as First Vice President of CISS for 2023 at its Thirtieth Ordinary Session of the General Assembly. This is the second time in CISS's history that a Caribbean representative achieved a Vice President's position. CISS, founded in 1942 and headquartered in Mexico City, is a specialized technical international organization that promotes the development of social protection and welfare within the Americas. ABSSB is a long-standing member of CISS.
• Organization and Administrative Systems (CAOSA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerABSSB Director David Matthias was elected to a second consecutive term on the Organization and Administrative Systems (CAOSA).
• CARICOMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABSSB participates in the CARICOM social security coordination system, with specific forms available for CARICOM Certificate of Dependency, Details of Insurance Periods, Invalidity Pension Application, Retirement/Age Pension Application, Survivors' Pension Application, and Notification of Claim Received to facilitate cross-border social security benefits within the Caribbean community.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCePy36XAMysWWNr4ZRfuT4w
• Facebookfacebook.com/ABSSBANU
• Instagraminstagram.com/abssb_73
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/antigua-barbuda-social-security-board

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Antigua Barbuda Social Security Board