WORKERS derive a sense of empowerment from being able to provide for their personal, as well as their loved ones’ basic needs, and even the simple pleasures and luxuries that life has to offer. But when unforeseen contingencies strike, it can make them feel helpless and distressed at their mounting bills and financial obligations, especially when these events impair their ability to earn a living.
The Social Security System’s (SSS) tagline—“Buti na lang may SSS”—draws inspiration from the relief and assurance that members and beneficiaries experience upon receiving their benefits during times of financial contingencies, such as sickness, maternity, disability, old age or retirement and death.
SSS members can avail themselves of benefits under the Social Security (SS) program, which is the standard benefit package extended to all SSS members, and the Employees’ Compensation (EC) program, which provides additional benefits for regular employees with work-related sicknesses, injuries, disabilities and death.
To cite an example, an SSS member who suffers from a loss of eyesight as a direct effect of his regular employment in a factory can be entitled to benefits under both the SS and EC programs for the same health condition. The EC program is administered by the SSS for the private sector and by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) for the public sector.
Within the past five years, the present SSS management actively pursued and successfully implemented a series of benefit enhancements under both the SS and EC programs. It started with a proposal from the SSS to the Employees Compensation Commission (ECC) to double the P10,000 EC funeral benefit to P20,000. At the same time, the SSS also advocated for the increase in EC pensions by 10 percent across-the-board (ATB) for permanent partial disability, permanent total disability and death.
The ECC endorsed the SSS proposals to Malacañang, which then approved the two EC increases for implementation effective September 1, 2013. The EC pension increase covers over 17,000 EC pensioners as of August 31, 2013, while claimants for EC funeral benefits with the workers’ death dated September 1, 2013 onward are entitled to the higher P20,000 burial grant.
Apart from the EC increases, the SSS also sought to enhance its level of benefits under the SS program. As a result of the SSS’s consistent campaign to improve its actuarial health through strong contribution collections and investment earnings that were complemented by its prudent management of expenses, the agency was able to implement a 5-percent ATB increase in SS pensions effective June 1, 2014. The SS pension increase covers the 1.9 million active SS pensioners for retirement, disability and death as of May 31, 2014.
In 2015, the year of its 58th anniversary, the SSS revealed the enhancement of the SS funeral benefit, making the amount of its burial grants more reflective of the members’ number of contributions and average monthly salary credit (AMSC). Simply put, the beneficiary of an SSS member who has paid contributions for more months, as well as at higher reported income levels, as represented by the AMSC, would be entitled to a bigger SS funeral benefit. From a fixed amount of P20,000 under the previous SSS policy, the SS funeral benefit now ranges from P20,000 up to P40,000 for deaths dated August 1, 2015 onward.
Finding means to boost the benefits of members is a continuing activity of the SSS. The SSS is proud of its 58 years of service as a steady shoulder of support for the Filipino worker in the face of financial
contingencies.
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For more information about the SSS and its programs, call its 24-hour call center at (632) 920-6446 to 55, Monday to Friday, or send an e-mail to member_relations@sss.gov.ph.
Susie G. Bugante is the vice president for public affairs and special events of the SSS. Send comments about this column to susiebugante.bmirror@gmail.com.