Members of the Social Security System (SSS) who will pay their loan starting May 1 are now required to obtain a payment reference number (PRN), an official said.
If a self-employed or a voluntary member, the payment reference number will be sent by email or text but if formally employed, it will be sent to the employer.
Members can enroll for PRN at My.SSS, said Atty. Sau Mapalo, department manager of SSS.
But Defend Jobs Philippines thinks this will only add to the hardship for the workers.
According to Defend Jobs Spokesperson Christian Lloyd Magsoy, the SSS’s RPN system is not working properly, resulting in delays in repayment and incurring penalties by members.
Meanwhile, no walk-ins will be accommodated at SSS offices in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal.
If there is an application, it will be left in the drop boxes, which will be picked up by SSS employees inside for processing.
Even though they are skeleton staffing because many are already getting COVID-19 in the SSS, those in the dropbox are allegedly being processed one by one, said Mapalo.
Mapalo also appealed to SSS members to enroll in My.SSS and just apply online.
The SSS admitted that their website sometimes crashes due to a large number of enrollees but it was fixed immediately.
SSS members now need payment reference number to pay loans
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.