SSS Provides Benefit for Involuntarily Separated Workers

Members of Social Security System (SSS) who lost their jobs may now avail of the new unemployment benefit.

SSS Luzon Central 2 Division Vice President Gloria Corazon Andrada said the new benefit is for involuntarily separated employees as well as Overseas Filipino Workers.

“When an employee is involuntarily separated, that means he or she lost the job beyond his or her control. Examples of these are business closure, retrenchment and downsizing. But if an employee is dismissed due to negligence or misconduct, he or she is not eligible to this new benefit,” Andrada clarified.

An employee may claim 50 percent of his or her monthly salary times two or a total of 100 percent.

“To avail this benefit, the employee must have at least 36 contributions and 12 of those contributions should be paid within the 18-month period,” she said.

The benefit can be claimed only once every three years and not every time that an employee got separated or laid off from work.

“This is also one way by which we can help our members who were separated from their jobs so they have money to provide for their needs or may use to start a small business while looking for another job,” she said.

Those who are separated from work due to natural and man-made calamities and disasters are also eligible to claim.

Unemployment benefit is the seventh benefit given by SSS to its members. It is one of the salient features under Republic Act 1199 which took effect last March 5. (CLJD/MJLS-PIA 3)