SSS covers over half a million more temporary government workers

by Info @Brand Zone | March 13, 2024

Over half a million government workers under job order (JO) and contract of service (COS) workers employment status not covered by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) can now enjoy social security protection thanks to the SSS membership expansion program started by SSS President and Chief Operating Officer (PCEO) Rolando Ledesma Macasaet.

Social Security System (SSS) Executive Vice President for Branch Operations Sector Voltaire P. Agas said the new SSS members would not only improve the financial standing of the state pension fund but also fulfill further its mandate to provide social security protection to as many Filipinos as possible.

Agas said Macasaet decided to include temporary government workers in SSS coverage through the KaSSSangga Collect Program as they were not covered by GSIS programs.

“We are sad to hear their stories that, after decades of public service, they have zero savings and do not receive any pension when they retire, Macasaet was quoted as saying. “Through the KaSSSangga Collect Program, temporary public workers will be registered as self-employed members while their respective organizations shall collect and remit their contributions to the SSS, thereby helping them to become eligible for Social Security and Employees’ Compensation benefits.’

Among the many government agencies that entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOU) with SSS under the KaSSSangga Collect Program were the Quezon City District 2 of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). This MOU will cover over 200 of their JO and COS workers, who are mostly street sweepers.

Agas said that the largest membership coverage was recorded in Quezon City with around 15,000 JOs after SSS PCEO Macasaet and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte signed an agreement last January 29, 2024. Prior to the SSS-QC Government partnership, the pension fund has already sealed agreements with the Local Government of Mandaluyong, Taguig and Malabon in 2023.

“As they are exposed to various health hazards while performing their duties, the more these workers deserve social security protection regardless of their employment status in the government,” Agas added.

Agas said more government agencies employing JO workers are expected to join the KaSSSangga Collect Program. In January 2024 alone, Agas said SSS had sealed partnerships with 32 government institutions in the National Capital Region.

Likewise, an additional 74 program partners from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao also joined the agreements which secured the SSS membership of 2,251 temporary government workers, he added.

Agas urged other public sector leaders and groups to extend social security protection to their constituents and colleagues by subsidizing their monthly SSS contributions.

“They can shoulder the contribution payments of their chosen recipients for at least six months through the Contribution Subsidy Provider Program. Let us join forces to invest in the future of our fellow workers in government through equitable social security protection,” Agas said.

Agas noted that SSS was able to collect over P7.08 billion worth of workers’ contributions from 2015 to 2023 under the program. Over 2,100 Local Government Units (LGUs) remitted P4.66 billion worth of contributions while almost 700 National Government Agencies (NGAs) and Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) paid P2.03 billion.

On the other hand, over 100 State Colleges and Universities (SUCs) remitted P289.91 million SSS contributions and 86 Local Water Districts (LWDs) paid P97.64 million.  “We commend the proactive stance of our partners in the government sector in providing adequate social safety nets to their JO and COS workers through active SSS membership,” Agas said.

He added that their significant role as coverage and collection partners helped SSS in generating higher revenues while also providing meaningful benefits to all members.

It was recently announced that in 2023, SSS achieved P83.13 billion net income that year, with a huge bulk coming from contribution collection of P309.12 billion.

Agas attributed the outstanding financial performance of SSS last year to the efforts of the SSS management and employees in intensifying its collection activities such as registering new paying members, improved collection from delinquent employers, and the 2023 contribution rate hike. 

Ipon sa WISP ng SSS member, tax-free

@Buti na lang may SSS | Marso 10, 2024

Dear SSS,

Magandang araw! Nais kong malaman kung bakit mahalaga ang tinatawag na Workers’ Investment and Savings Program ng SSS sa mga miyembro? At paano ko makikita ang record ng naihuhulog ko sa nasabing programa? Salamat. — Lilia

Mabuting araw sa iyo, Lilia!

Mahalaga ang Workers’ Investment and Savings Program (WISP) sapagkat ito ay nagsisilbing karagdagang social protection ng mga miyembro bukod sa kanilang regular SSS program.

Ang WISP ay isa sa mga probisyon sa ilalim ng Republic Act No. 11199 o ang Social Security Act of 2018 na sinimulang ipatupad noong Enero 2021. Ito ay isang provident fund scheme na pinangangasiwaan at ipinatutupad ng SSS upang matulungan ang mga miyembro na makaipon ng mas malaki para sa kanilang pagreretiro. Tulad ng regular SSS program, hinuhulugan din ito kada buwan.

Nasasakop ng WISP ang mga miyembro na kumikita ng maximum monthly salary credit na mahigit sa P20,000 at walang final claim sa ilalim ng regular SSS program.

Awtomatiko naman ang pagiging kasapi nila sa nasabing programa.

Ang kanilang magiging buwanang hulog ay mula P70 hanggang P1,400. Kailangan namang ang miyembro ay aktibong naghuhulog ng kanyang buwanang kontribusyon sa ilalim ng regular SSS program.

Halimbawa, kung ikaw ay kumikita ng P23,750 kada buwan, bawat buwan ay maghuhulog ka ng P2,830 para sa iyong regular SSS contribution, kasama na rito ang P30 na hulog para naman sa Employees’ Compensation Program, at P560 naman ang napupunta sa iyong WISP.

Sa mga covered employee o mga miyembro na may employer na pinapasukan, paghahatian nila ang hulog sa WISP, gaya ng sa regular na hulog sa SSS.

Halimbawa, ikaw, Lilia ay kumikita ng P23,750 kada buwan at nag-iipon ng P560 bawat buwan para sa WISP, ang magiging share ng iyong employer ay P380 samantalang sasagutin mo naman ang P180.

Maaari ring i-check ng miyembro ang posting ng kanyang kontribusyon sa WISP sa pamamagitan ng kanyang My.SSS account. Mag-log in sa kanyang account sa My.SSS. 

Sunod, magtungo sa “Inquiry” tab at i-click ang “Contributions.” Makikita rito ang contributions niya sa WISP maging ang posting ng kanyang buwanang hulog sa regular na SSS program at WISP Plus.

Sinusundan ng SSS ang prinsipyo ng WORK, SAVE, INVEST at PROSPER. Kaya naman ilalagak sa investment ng SSS ang WISP ng mga miyembro. Ang anumang kikitain dito ay ibabalik nang proporsyonal sa miyembro, depende sa halaga ng kanilang contributions. Ang posted contribution sa isang buwan ay magkakaroon ng share sa investment income simula sa unang araw ng susunod na buwan. Hindi lamang nag-iipon ang miyembro kundi kumikita pa ang pinag-iipunan niya.

Sa iyong pagreretiro, Lilia pareho mong makukuha ang iyong retirement benefit mula sa regular na programa ng SSS at ang iyong naipon sa WISP. Ang WISP ay magandang pagkakataon upang magkaroon ka ng isang mas komportableng pagreretiro, kung saan lahat ng iyong naipon ay siya mo namang pakikinabangan sa kinabukasan. Bukod dito, ang iyong maiipon sa WISP ay tax-free at ginagarantiyahan ng SSS.  

***

Patuloy na tumatanggap ng aplikasyon ang SSS para sa loan penalty condonation program nito.  Inilunsad ang Consolidation of Past Due Short-Term Member Loans with Condonation of Penalty Program (Conso Loan) para tulungan ang mga miyembro na mayroong past-due loans sa SSS. Sa ilalim ng programa, hindi na sisingilin ang kaukulang penalties o multa ng kanilang past-due loans. Sa halip, ang tangi na lamang nilang babayaran ay ang orihinal o principal amount at interes nito.

Maaaring bayaran ang prinsipal at interes sa pamamagitan ng one-time full payment, o kaya’y bayaran kahit 10% nito bilang down payment at ang natitirang balanse ay babayaran nang hulugan sa loob ng hanggang 60 buwan o 5 taon, depende sa halaga ng kanilang pagkakautang.

Sakop ng Conso Loan ang salary loan, calamity loan, Salary Loan Early Renewal Program (SLERP), emergency loan, at restructured loans gaya ng Loan Restructuring Program (LRP) noong mga nakaraang taon. 

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Para sa tamang impormasyon at updates sa mga programa at benepisyo ng SSS, bisitahin at i-follow ang opisyal na Facebook page ng SSS sa “Philippine Social Security System - SSS” o sa X, ang dating Twitter, sa @PHLSSS. Maaari ring mag-subscribe sa YouTube channel sa “MYSSSPH”, at sumali sa SSS Viber Community, “MYSSSPH Updates”. Maaari kayong magpadala ng inyong concerns at katanungan sa usssaptayo@sss.gov.ph.

Retirement benefit remains the most availed SSS benefit reaching P156.7 B in 2023

by Info @Brand Zone | March 8, 2023

The Social Security System (SSS) said it released P156.7 billion retirement benefits to 2.2 million members in 2023 making it the most availed SSS benefit last year.

SSS Vice President for Benefits Administration Division Joy A. Villacorta said that of the 4.7 million benefits disbursed to pensioners, members and their beneficiaries in 2023, nearly half, or 47 percent, received retirement benefits.

Villacorta said SSS released about P156.7 billion in retirement benefits to 2.2 million payees in 2023, up by 10.7 percent from the P141.5 billion retirement benefits given to over 2 million payees in the previous year.  The majority of these payees, at around 87.46 percent of the total, are pensioners.

“Retirement benefit is a cash benefit being granted by SSS to a member who can no longer work due to old age. Members who paid at least 120 monthly contributions will get a lifetime monthly pension while those with less than 120 monthly contributions will receive a one-time lump sum amount,” Villacorta explained.

She said that death benefit came in second with a total release of P70.1 billion to 1.4 million beneficiaries last year, slightly lower than the P70.2 billion death benefits to 1.3 million beneficiaries in 2022.

“SSS grants cash benefit to beneficiaries of a deceased member. Deceased SSS members with 36 monthly contributions will entitle their beneficiaries to a monthly pension. In comparison, beneficiaries of those with less than 36 monthly contributions will get a one-time lump sum amount,” she added.

Maternity benefit follows with a disbursement of P14.1 billion to 357,000 members in 2023, which rose by 9.6 percent from about P12.9 billion recorded in 2022.

Villacorta said that female members who have paid at least three monthly contributions in the last 12 months before the semester of childbirth, miscarriage, or emergency termination of pregnancy can avail of the maternity benefit.  As provided in the Expanded Maternity Leave Law (EMLL), the SSS maternity benefit is paid to an eligible member at every instance of her pregnancy since March 2019.

Meanwhile, Villacorta noted that disability benefit came in fourth, with P7.5 billion released to over 130,000 members last year, a 16.3 percent increase from the P6.4 billion released in 2022.

“Members who become disabled either partially or totally can receive a monthly pension or lump sum amount under the disability benefit. Members who have paid at least 36 monthly contributions are qualified to get a monthly disability pension while those with less than 36 monthly contributions will be granted a lump sum amount,” she added.

She said that funeral benefit follows with P4.8 billion reimbursed to 211,000 payees, and sickness benefit with P3.2 billion provided to 376,000 members.

“We grant SS funeral benefits to whoever paid the funeral expenses of the deceased member.  Claimants of deceased members with 36 or more monthly contributions may receive a variable amount from P20,000 to P60,000 depending on the number and amount of contributions paid by the member.  The funeral benefit arising from the death of a member who paid less than 36 monthly contributions is fixed at P12,000,” she continued.

Further, Villacorta said that sickness benefit is a daily cash allowance paid for the number of days a member cannot work due to sickness or injury.

“Unemployment benefit is the least availed benefit in 2023 with a total disbursement of P914.1 million to 64,000 members, down by 4.9 percent from the P961.4 million released to 75,000 members in 2022. This is also a reflection of the continuing improvement in the Philippine labor market with the unemployment rate reaching its lowest levels last year,” she said.

Villacorta noted that benefit payments in 2023 amounted to P257.4 billion, up by 6.9 percent from the P240.6 billion disbursed in 2022.