| Effective date: 13 April 2026 Last updated: 13 April 2026 Administered by: National Insurance and Social Security Service (NISSS) on behalf of the Ministry of Finance, Government of Barbados |
Plain language commitment: This Privacy Policy is written in plain language so that every visitor to this site — including seniors and persons unfamiliar with digital services — can understand how their personal information is collected, used and protected. If you have questions, please call our COLCC Contact Desk at (246) 431-7400.
1. Introduction
The National Insurance and Social Security Service (NISSS) operates this website — colcc.nis.gov.bb (the “Site”) — to provide information about the Cost of Living Cash Credit (COLCC) programme and to enable eligible persons to register online to receive the COLCC.
NISSS is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of everyone who visits or uses this Site. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and your rights under the Data Protection Act, Cap. 308D of Barbados (the “Act”).
By using this Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use this Site.
2. Who we are — the Data Controller
NISSS is the data controller for personal information collected through this Site. As data controller, NISSS determines the purposes and means of processing your personal information and is responsible for ensuring that your information is handled lawfully, fairly and transparently.
| Data Controller | National Insurance and Social Security Service (NISSS) |
| Address | Frank Walcott Building, Culloden Road, St. Michael, Barbados |
| COLCC Contact Desk | (246) 431-7400 |
| Customer Service | (246) 467-4647 |
| info@bginis.gov.bb | |
| Website | nis.gov.bb |
3. What personal information we collect
We collect personal information in two ways: information you provide to us directly, and information collected automatically when you visit the Site.
3.1 Information you provide directly
If you use the online registration form on this Site, we collect the following personal information:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- National Insurance (NIS) number
- Identity document number (national identification card or passport)
- Barbados residential address or last known local address
- Country of current residence (if residing abroad)
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Bank account details (for direct deposit payments)
- Documentation relating to pension status and income
- Documentation relating to welfare eligibility (where applicable)
3.2 Information collected automatically
When you visit this Site, certain technical information is collected automatically by our systems. This may include:
- Your Internet Protocol (IP) address
- Browser type and version
- The pages you visit on this Site and the date and time of your visit
- The website that referred you to this Site
- Device type and operating system
This technical information does not identify you personally and is used only to monitor Site performance, diagnose technical problems and improve the user experience.
3.3 Eligibility checker
The online eligibility checker on this Site operates entirely within your browser. The answers you provide to the eligibility checker questions are not transmitted to NISSS, stored on our systems or linked to your identity in any way. The checker is a self-service tool only.
4. Why we collect your information — our lawful basis
NISSS collects and processes your personal information for the following purposes, each of which has a lawful basis under the Data Protection Act, Cap. 308D:
| Purpose | Information used | Lawful basis |
| To process your COLCC registration and verify your eligibility | Name, NIS number, ID number, date of birth, address, income and pension documentation | Performance of a public task — administration of the COLCC on behalf of the Ministry of Finance |
| To disburse COLCC payments to you | Bank account details, mailing address | Performance of a public task — disbursement of a government benefit |
| To verify income levels with the Barbados Revenue Authority (BRA) | Name, NIS number, income information | Legal obligation — income threshold verification required by programme parameters |
| To confirm welfare eligibility with the Social Empowerment Agency (SEA) | Name, identity details, welfare status | Legal obligation — welfare eligibility confirmation required by programme parameters |
| To communicate with you about your registration or payment | Email address, telephone number | Performance of a public task — beneficiary communication |
| To monitor Site performance and improve the user experience | Technical/device data (anonymised) | Legitimate interests — ensuring the Site functions correctly for all users |
5. How we share your information
NISSS does not sell, rent or trade your personal information to any third party for commercial purposes. Your information may be shared only in the following limited circumstances:
5.1 Government agencies
As required for the administration of the COLCC, NISSS may share relevant personal information with:
- The Barbados Revenue Authority (BRA) — to verify income levels for pensioner eligibility.
- The Social Empowerment Agency (SEA) — to confirm welfare recipient eligibility and registration status.
- The Ministry of Finance, Government of Barbados — as the programme authority and funding body.
- The General Post Office (GPO) — for the delivery of COLCC cheque payments to registered local mailing addresses.
5.2 Financial institutions
Your bank account details will be shared with the relevant financial institution solely for the purpose of processing your COLCC direct bank deposit payment. This information is transmitted securely and used for no other purpose.
5.3 Service providers
NISSS may engage approved technology service providers to operate and maintain this Site and its registration systems. Any such providers are bound by contractual obligations to handle your personal information securely and only as directed by NISSS. They are not permitted to use your information for their own purposes.
5.4 Legal requirement
NISSS may disclose your personal information if required to do so by law, court order or other legal process, or to protect the rights, property or safety of NISSS, its beneficiaries or the public.
6. How long we keep your information
NISSS retains your personal information for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including for the duration of the COLCC programme (1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, subject to renewal), and thereafter for such period as may be required by applicable law, NISSS record-keeping policies, or audit and accountability obligations.
Registration and payment records related to the COLCC will be retained in accordance with NISSS’s records management framework. When your information is no longer required, it will be securely disposed of in accordance with the Act.
7. How we protect your information
NISSS takes the security of your personal information seriously. We have implemented appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your information against unauthorised access, loss, alteration or disclosure. These measures include:
- Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption — all data transmitted between your browser and this Site is encrypted using HTTPS.
- Access controls — access to personal information collected through this Site is restricted to authorised NISSS personnel and approved service providers who require it for their designated role.
- Secure data transmission — bank account details and other sensitive information are transmitted to financial institutions via secure, encrypted channels.
- System monitoring — the Site and its underlying systems are monitored for security threats and unusual activity.
While we take all reasonable precautions, no digital transmission or storage system is completely secure. If you have reason to believe that your interaction with NISSS is no longer secure, please contact us immediately at the details provided in Section 2.
8. Cookies and tracking technologies
This Site may use cookies — small text files placed on your device — to improve your experience and help the Site function correctly. Cookies used on this Site are limited to the following categories:
| Type | Purpose | Can I refuse? |
| Essential cookies | Required for the Site and registration form to function correctly. Without these, some parts of the Site will not work. | No — these are necessary for the Site to operate. |
| Analytics cookies | Used to understand how visitors use the Site so we can improve it. No personal information is collected. Data is anonymised and aggregated. | Yes — you may decline analytics cookies via the cookie consent banner when you first visit the Site. |
This Site does not use advertising cookies, social media tracking cookies or any cookies that profile you for commercial purposes.
9. Links to other websites
This Site may contain links to other Government of Barbados websites, including nis.gov.bb. This Privacy Policy applies only to colcc.nis.gov.bb. When you follow a link to another website, we encourage you to review the privacy policy of that site, as NISSS is not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites.
10. Your rights under the Data Protection Act, Cap. 308D
Under the Data Protection Act, Cap. 308D of Barbados, you have the following rights in relation to your personal information held by NISSS:
| Your right | What this means |
| Right of access | You have the right to request a copy of the personal information NISSS holds about you in connection with the COLCC. |
| Right to rectification | If your personal information is inaccurate or incomplete, you have the right to request that it be corrected. |
| Right to erasure | In certain circumstances, you may request that your personal information be deleted. Note that we may be unable to delete information we are legally required to retain. |
| Right to restrict processing | In certain circumstances, you may request that we limit how we use your personal information. |
| Right to object | You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information where we rely on legitimate interests as our lawful basis. |
| Right to data portability | Where processing is based on your consent or a contract, you may request your personal information in a structured, machine-readable format. |
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the details provided in Section 2. We will respond to your request within 30 days. In some cases, we may need to verify your identity before processing your request.
11. Children’s privacy
This Site is not intended for use by persons under the age of 18. NISSS does not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe that a child has provided personal information through this Site without appropriate consent, please contact us at the details in Section 2 and we will take steps to remove that information.
12. Changes to this Privacy Policy
NISSS may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law, our data practices or the functionality of this Site. When we make changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.
For significant changes that materially affect how your personal information is used, we will notify you by posting a prominent notice on this Site.
13. Contact us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data protection rights, or wish to make a complaint about how NISSS has handled your personal information, please contact us:
| Data Controller | National Insurance and Social Security Service (NISSS) |
| Address | Frank Walcott Building, Culloden Road, St. Michael, Barbados |
| COLCC Contact Desk | (246) 431-7400 |
| Customer Service | (246) 467-4647 |
| info@bginis.gov.bb | |
| Website | nis.gov.bb |
Note: This Privacy Policy has been prepared to assist visitors to the COLCC micro-site in understanding how their personal information is handled. It should be read alongside the Data Protection Act, Cap. 308D of Barbados. NISSS recommends that persons with specific legal concerns seek independent legal advice.