Here is How to Apply for SSS Unemployment Benefits Online.
The Social Security System (SSS) announced Friday that it is now ready to accept online applications for the unemployment benefit from members who were involuntarily separated from work due to the huge impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
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“Job loss in times of global health crisis is one of the worst case scenarios that we wish would never happen. However, as a pension fund, we have to anticipate these kinds of contingencies by allocating funds and providing our members with safer, faster, and more convenient means of filing benefit claims and receiving their cash benefits,” says SSS president and CEO Aurora C. Ignacio.
Who can avail of unemployment benefits?
Covered employees, including kasambahays and overseas Filipino worker (OFW) members could avail of this benefit.
Qualifications
- Must have paid at least 36 monthly SSS contributions, wherein 12 months of it should have been paid within the last 18 months before the month of involuntary separation.
- Reasons for involuntary separation should be due to retrenchment or downsizing, closure or cessation of business operations, and other reasons brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Member must not be more than 60 years old at the time of involuntary separation, except for underground and surface mineworkers, and racehorse jockeys whose age should not be more than 50 and 55 years old.
- Members should have their own My.SSS account through registration at the SSS Website.
- Contact details, especially the mobile number, should also be registered in their My.SSS account in case the member opted to receive their benefits through remittance centers.
- Disbursement accounts should also be enrolled in the respective My.SSS accounts through Bank Enrollment Module (BEM).
Also read: SSS members complain broken website, delayed calamity loan
How to Apply for SSS Unemployment Benefits Online
- Members should log in to My.SSS account and click “apply for unemployment benefit claim” under the e-services tab.
- Provide all the pertinent information such as the active savings account enrolled through the Bank Enrollment Module (BEM), employment category, date of involuntary separation, the reason for involuntary separation, and the employer’s name where the member was separated.
- Read the certification carefully before clicking the “Submit” box to agree and proceed with the application. SSS will send a notification through email.
- Members should reply by attaching the scanned images of the certification issued by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) or by the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO), together with the notice of termination from their employers or Affidavit of Termination from Employment, whichever is applicable.
- SSS will once again send a notice through email regarding their unemployment benefit application.
Unemployment benefit will be released through various SSS payment channels such as Unified Multi-purpose Identification (UMID) card enrolled as ATM card, bank account in PESONet participating banks, electronic wallet such as (e.g. Paymaya), and remittance transfer companies or cash payout outlets (e.g., DBP Cash Padala through MLhuillier).