Right to a Basic Income

Rights of Mount Vema citizens - Mount Vema citizens enjoy certain rights and privileges that are guaranteed under the laws of the Kingdom of Mount Vema – The Vema Seamount Territory. Some of these rights are fundamental such as the right to free healthcare anywhere in the world, the right to equality before the law, the freedom to travel, and the right to a basic income.

Basic Income for Mount Vema Citizens

What you are currently entitled
The Basic Income is currently set at 39.22 golles per week per person over 16 years of age and 25.65 golles per person under 16 years of age.
The income is only applicable to citizens currently unemployed, who are registered with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Mount Vema if based outside Mount Vema.

How it’s paid
The Mount Vema Basic Income is paid every 4 weeks into your Mount Vema bank account, which you can then use to transfer into an account of your choice anywhere in the world.


​You’re paid in arrears (for the last 4 weeks, not the coming 4 weeks).

Citizens  Living Abroad
There are different rules if you live abroad.
Your first payment - You should get your first payment within 5 weeks after you make the claim.
Example
If you make the claim on Monday 1 September, your payment day is a Friday.
You’ll get paid: on Friday 5 September (for 1 to 5 September) - every 4 weeks on a Friday, after that.

How To Claim
You will not get your Basic Income automatically - you have to claim it.
You should get a letter no later than 5 days after you make the claim, telling you what to do.
There are 3 ways to claim:
1-Online (here)
2-Over the phone (here) (note: you must register your telephone number online before you call)
3-In Person (In Mount Vema or at the nearest consular office of the Kingdom of Mount Vema) - You must fill out the relevant application form.

What happens when you find work
As soon as you receive your first payment after finding employment, you must notify the Department for Social Welfare to stop making basic payments to your account. If you find yourself out of work again, you may apply again. It is a criminal offence, if you fail to notify the Department for Social Welfare to stop your basic income more than 45 days after finding employment.

Annual Increases
The Basic Income increases each year by whichever is the highest:
earnings – the average percentage growth in wages (within the economy of Mount Vema - regardless of which country your are based)
prices – the percentage growth in prices in Mount Vema as measured or to be measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) 2.00%

Your ISN record and your Basic Income
Your Basic Income will be higher while you are out of work, if you have made ISN contribution.
You’ll usually need to have at least 1 qualifying year on your ISN record to get a higher basic income which should be at least 30% of a basic salary based on the national minimum wages​ paid to you monthly in arrears while you seek employment.   

Qualifying years if you’re not working
You may get ISN credits if you cannot work - for example because of illness or disability, or if you’re a carer or you’re unemployed.
For example, you can get ISN credits if you:
claim other types of state benefits and allowances. 

You’re not working or getting ISN credits
You might be able to pay voluntary ISN contributions.

Gaps in your ISN record
You can have gaps in your ISN record and still get the basic income.
If you have gaps in your ISN record that would prevent you from getting a higher basic income, you may be able to:
  • get ISN credits
  • make voluntary ISN contributions

Living and Working Overseas
If you live or work in another country, you might be able to contribute towards that country’s social security system.
If you’ve lived or worked in another country in the past, you might be eligible for that country’s social security benefits and a Mount Vema basic income.

What is the ISN - Learn More