SSS members who lost jobs may avail of up to P20,000 cash benefit

All contributing members of the Social Security System (SSS) who lost their jobs will receive up to P20,000 cash benefit, based on their monthly salary credit, its official said on Tuesday.

SSS Public Affairs and Special Events Division head Fernando Nicolas said the SSS member only have to present a certification from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and a savings account.

“Up to 20,000 o katumbas po ito ng one month salary credit. Halimbawa, ang isang miyembro ay naghuhulog ng para sa P20,000 monthly salary credit, makakakuha po siya ng ganung halaga,” he said in an interview on GMA Network’s Unang Hirit.

“Ang kailangan lang nilang i-present ay ‘yung certification galing sa DOLE na sila ay involuntarily separated. Tapos i-present nila ‘yung savings account kung saan natin ide-deposit,” he added.

The unemployment benefit will be received within five days, according to Nicolas. The amount will be distributed into two halves in two months.

Nicolas noted that members are still qualified to receive the unemployment aid even if they already benefited from other cash assistance programs of the government.

“Ito pong benepisyo na ito ay galing sa SSS,” he said.

According to Nicolas, the reason for the involuntary separation of the workers does not have to be related with the COVID-19 pandemic to claim the up to 20,000 aid.

For overseas Filipino workers, the certification can be requested from the Philippine Overseas Employment Office (POLO), instead of DOLE.

However, Nicolas said SSS members who are registered as self-employed are not qualified to avail the unemployment benefit.

SSS has set standards for members looking to secure the cash grant:

– An applicant must be below 60 years old when they were removed from their job. For miners, they should be 50 years old or younger, while racehorse jockeys seeking the benefit must be aged 55 or younger.

– An applicant must have paid contributions to the SSS for at least 36 months, with at least 12 payments remitted in the last 18 months before they were booted out of work.

– A worker must not have received an unemployment benefit in the past three years when he/she applied for the perk.

– The following are the accepted reasons for unemployment that will qualify a worker for this SSS benefit: the introduction of machines that will replace human labor, redundancy, retrenchment to prevent losses, company closure or cessation of operations, having an ailment that may affect coworkers or is banned from rendering labor, an economic collapse, natural disasters, and other cases decided on by the Department of Labor and Employment.

– Workers who stopped reporting for work due to serious insult by the employer or his representative on the honor and person of the employee, inhumane and unbearable treatment, the commission of an offense or crime against a worker or his family, and similar situations can likewise seek to avail of this benefit.

The benefit applies to all private sector workers, including household helpers and overseas Filipino workers who were laid off, terminated, or “involuntarily separated” from their work.

However, SSS said employees who were rightfully dismissed under the Labor Code – such as those who were caught involved in serious misconduct, gross and habitual neglect, fraud or willful breach of trust, and the commission of a crime against his/her employer and immediate family members – are disqualified from receiving the benefit.

The unemployment benefit is a new form of assistance introduced in August 2019, which is part of reforms introduced through the Social Security Act of 2018. The cash grant, which the SSS said is patterned a similar program offered by European countries, is meant to assist a worker as they look for another job or find a fresh source of livelihood.

Claims must be filed within one year after the employee was let go by an employer. The benefit can be availed once every three years, and cannot be availed together with a different SSS cash grant.

To apply, a displaced worker must present a government-issued primary ID and a certification from DOLE certifying the date of their termination from work. To get this, an employee must present their notice of termination of employment to DOLE field offices, provincial offices, or overseas labor offices in the case of OFWs.

If granted, the cash will be deposited to the SSS UMID card or Quick Card of the applicant.

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For further clarification: Check the SSS Oman Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Social-Security-System-Oman-1061173313898547