KINGSTON, Jamaica – The National Housing Trust (NHT) is advising clients that contributions made up to the year 2015 are now being refunded.

This was disclosed by the NHT’s Assistant General Manager for Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, Dwayne Berbick, during the Love 101 radio programme, ‘Good Morning Minister’, on Wednesday.

“This year (2023), we are refunding contributions that were made in 2015 or earlier, and we actually refund contributions at a rate of two per cent per annum,” he informed.

Contributors are entitled to receive a regular refund in the eighth year after the payment was made.

As such, individuals who contributed to the NHT in 2015 or earlier may now apply for a refund of those payments and those made prior to that year, for which they were not refunded.

“Your contributions are always here. The NHT holds those contributions. It is your money… . We don’t do anything with it. So whenever it is that you are ready to access that, the NHT does a refund of contributions,” he explained.

People who have a mortgage that they received directly from the NHT should not apply for a refund, as it will automatically be credited to their account with an effective date of January 1 of the eighth year.

Exceptions to these are beneficiaries under the Combined Mortgage Programme or the Joint Finance Mortgage Programme and public sector employees who are NHT mortgagors and meet specific conditions. Retirees and expatriates returning to Jamaica for good are also exempted.

Individuals in receipt of invalidity pension from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security or the beneficiary of a deceased contributor may apply for a Special Contributions Refund.

People are encouraged to use the NHT Contributions Refund On-Line Application Service.

– JIS