SSS Ready to Implement EC Funeral Benefit Hike in 1 Month from Effectivity Date

State-run Social Security System (SSS) on Thursday said it is ready to implement the recently issued Executive Order No. 33 by President Rodrigo Duterte ordering the increase of the Employees’ Compensation (EC) funeral benefits for government and private sector employees from P20,000 to P30,000 within 30 days from the publication date of the Implementing Rules and Regulations to be issued by the Employees’ Compensation Commission.

“We just need a month to make system adjustments to implement the P10,000 increase in EC funeral benefit. We are one with Pres. Duterte’s commitment to assist the families of our workers who died due to a work-related contingency,” SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel F. Dooc said.

Dooc reiterated the EO provision that “the results of the actuarial studies of the SSS and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) show that the State Insurance Fund (SIF) can finance the increase in funeral benefits without affecting the stability of the SIF and without requiring additional contributions.”

SSS administers the Employees’ Compensation Program (ECP) for workers in the private sector. Under the ECP, workers will receive compensation benefits for illness, disability and death resulting from occupational diseases and work-related activities. EC benefits are granted only to members with employers. The employer shoulders the cost of the employee’s EC contributions.

The EO was signed last July 17 citing “there is a need to continually improve benefits under the Employees’ Compensation Program (ECP) to make them more responsive to the welfare and development needs of occupationally disabled workers.” (SSS/PIA-Caraga)