Family Relief Scheme Home
With a view to help the very needy members of the Kuwait parish who meet with an untimely  death of unfortunate end, our parish started a fund raising program through this scheme. Only the members of the scheme are eligible to receive the benefits as required.

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By-law of the Family Relief Scheme
(as amended by the parish general body held on 4th June 2002)

“A good Christian creates the good and rejoices in God’s plenty and co-operate with God in creating supreme joy for himself and for the Society”

`The Family Relief Scheme’ is introduced with a view to look into the heart of this Christian message and receive its inspiration when we are given the privilege to share each other. 

1.      Name of the Scheme

The name of the Scheme shall be “The Family Relief Scheme of the St. Gregorios Indian Orthodox Church, Kuwait” hereinafter referred to, for convenience, as the “Scheme”.   

2.       Objective

The objective of the Scheme shall be to provide financial assistance to the family of a member in the event of his/her natural/accidental death or physical disability within or outside Kuwait.  This clause is further clarified as follows:-         

Disability shall be understood as 100% physical disability by which the victim 
become permanently unfit for a job to meet his livelihood. 

3.       Membership

A.      Any fully subscribed member of our Parish whose name appears in the register of the Parish or his wife shall be eligible for membership, and any such member of the Parish or his wife may become a member of the Scheme upon submitting an Application for membership to the Secretary of the parish, in the prescribed form, counter-signed by the Vicar of the Parish, and paying the necessary subscription towards the Scheme. 

B.      A member shall automatically forfeit his/her membership if and when:

1.       A member ceases to be a member of the Parish.

2.       A member is absent, for any reason whatsoever from the State of Kuwait continuously for a period of 180 days or more. This is not applicable to female spouses of Members who are also members of the Scheme and residing outside Kuwait for whatever reason.

3.       A member, if present in Kuwait and fails to subscribe towards the Scheme within 45 days from the first announcement of a fresh call for subscription.  However, at the time of a fresh call, if the member is not in Kuwait, he/she will have the right to subscribe within 45 days from arrival in Kuwait or 180 days from the date of the call, whichever is earlier.

4.       A member is in arrears, whether in part or full, for a period of one year to settle his Parish dues.

5.       A dependent member whose head of the family (husband) is in arrears, whether in part or full, for a period of one year to settle his Parish dues.

6.       A member leaves the State of Kuwait for good. 

C.      A person ceased to be a member of the Scheme for any reason as contained in B.2, B.3, B.4 & B.5 shall be at liberty to reinstate his/her membership without submitting fresh application for membership, at any time after paying a fresh subscription fee.   

D.      However, for such reinstated members, a gestation period of 1 month from the date of payment of subscription will be applicable, and no claim for benefits will be entertained during this period.   

E.      A person ceased membership as contained in B.1 & B.6, should submit a fresh application form to regain his/her membership in the Scheme together with the subscription fee. 

F.      For all new applicants, there will be a gestation period of 3 months from the date of payment of subscription, during which period no claim for benefits will be entertained under this Scheme.    

G.     During the call period, as referred in Clause 3.B.3, members are fully covered and eligible for benefit. 

H.      Failure in the part of a member to receive a call, either verbally from the Prayer Group Secretaries or Managing Committee members or as announced in the Church by the Vicar after the Holy Qurbana shall not be interpreted or accepted as excuse or reason for failure to pay the subscription.  

4.       Subscription 

A.      Each member shall pay a non-refundable sum of KD. 5/- (Kuwaiti Dinars Five only) as subscription as and when: 

1.       The application is made for membership

2.       A fresh subscription is called at any time, which will be announced in the church by the Vicar after the Holy Qurbana or verbally informed by Managing Committee Members or Prayer Group Secretaries.

(Existing members of the Scheme who have already paid KD. 3/- as subscription shall only be required to pay the new fee on a fresh call).

B.      Subscription, as above shall be understood to be on the basis of “one subscription, one incident of death/disability of a member” 

5.       Fund 

A.      Church shall create a fund with an initial amount of KD. 3,000/- (Kuwaiti Dinars Three thousand only) paid as loan and each and every subscription collected shall be utilized to repay the loan.  Church shall always top-up the amount to KD. 3,000/- irrespective of the amount collected or membership in the Scheme and pay a fixed amount to the beneficiary of each incident.  

B.      10% of the total collection of Harvest Festival shall be allocated to this fund every year, until the total amount in the Scheme reaches KD. 10,000/- after paying off any loans outstanding in the church books on account of the Scheme.  At any given time, the total amount available in the Scheme shall not exceed KD. 10,000/-  

6.       Nominee 

A.      A member shall declare through the membership form one or two nominee(s) and in case of his/her having two nominees, specifically mention for the purpose of payment that the nominees are to be treated as ‘either or survivor’, ‘first or survivor’ or ‘first and second’. In the absence of clear instruction, the amount available to the full extent shall be equally divided among the nominees. 

B.      A member shall advise the Secretary of the Parish, in writing, endorsed by the Vicar, to be acknowledged by the Vicar or the Secretary, of any change in his/her nominee(s), and in such cases, the nominee(s) last advised by the member shall be considered for all intents and purpose as his/her nominee in all respects eligible for receiving the benefit under the Scheme. 

7.       Payment of Benefit 

A.      In the event of permanent disability or death of a member, an amount of KD. 1,000/- (Kuwaiti Dinars One thousand only) shall be paid to the member or to the nominees of the deceased member as benefit under the Scheme.   

However, if a situation arise where the Church has to undertake the responsibility to repatriate the body of a deceased member or some initial expenses in connection with repatriating the body of the deceased person needs to be met locally or some initial expenses to be met locally for a 100% physically disabled member in Kuwait, then such expenses shall be deducted fully from the amount payable to the beneficiary and the beneficiary shall be duly notified of such expenses/deductions, with details, at the time of payment of the balance amount.

B.      In case of multiple incidents in excess of (3) at any one time and if the funds available at that time is not enough to pay at the above mentioned rate of KD. 1000/- per claim, then the full amount available under the Scheme shall be equally divided among all the claimants/ beneficiaries. 

C.      In the event of disability of a member, the payment to the member shall be paid only after producing 100% disability certificate from the Ministry of Health attested by the Vicar of his/her home or local parish. 

D.     In the event of the nominee(s) of a deceased member not surviving and/or the member did not declare a nominee, the benefit will be paid to the legal heir/heirs of the deceased who will be identified as the appropriate person(s) by the Managing Committee of the Kuwait Parish. 

E.      In the event of a nominee refusing to accept the benefit in writing for any reason whatsoever, the full benefit will be payable to the second nominee. 

F.      In the event of both the nominees refusing to accept the benefit in writing for any reason whatsoever, the benefits available under the scheme shall be retained in the books for payment as and when the next claim occurs.  In this case, a fresh invitation for subscription will not be called.  

G.     In the event of death of a member and the nominee is in Kuwait, the benefit shall be paid by crossed bank draft drawn from a local bank after receipt of a written request for receiving the benefit from the nominee(s), countersigned by his/her Parish Vicar. 

H.      In the event of death of a member and the nominee is not in Kuwait, the church shall take immediate steps to inform the nominee(s) about the benefits and formalities to be complied with.  In such cases, the benefit shall be paid only against production of an identity certificate by the nominee(s), obtained from not below the rank of a Gazetted Officer together with a written request, countersigned by his/her Parish Vicar. 

I.         In the event of death of a member and the nominee is not in Kuwait, the benefit shall be paid by crossed Demand Draft drawn from a local bank and to be mailed by registered post with acknowledgement due. 

8.       Administration 

A.      The Relief Scheme shall be administered by the Vicar and the Secretary of the Parish and if necessary a member of the Managing Committee can be elected (by the Managing Committee) to provide necessary assistance. 

B.      There shall be a separate Ledger for the Relief Scheme, which shall be subject to yearly audit by the auditors of the Parish. 

C.      The general body of the Parish is the only body empowered to make amendments to the By-law of the Scheme, by simple majority.  

D.      Any disputes arising from the interpretation of the By-law or the mode of implementation of the Scheme shall be decided/settled by the Managing Committee of the Parish and such decision(s) shall be final. 

E.      If, owing to circumstances beyond control, the Scheme could not be continued, then the Managing Committee shall have the right to decide the manner of disposal of any/all funds available under the Scheme, subject to the approval of the Parish General Body.  

“With the joyful be joyful, and mourn with the mourners”.
“Always aim at doing the best you can, for each other and for all men”.
 “Help one another to carry these heavy loads and in this way,
you will fulfill the law of Christ”.