Senator Richard J. Gordon announced on Tuesday that members of the Social Security System (SSS) who will lose their jobs could apply for unemployment assistance under Republic Act 11199 (Social Security Act of 2019), which was signed by President Duterte into law last week.
Gordon, the law’s primary author, said that the law now covers unemployment insurance or involuntary separation benefits for members which offers a temporary relief to them while they look for another job.
He stressed, “For the first time in the country’s history, meron na ngayong (there is now an) unemployment insurance. It will start with two months, at least meron kang P10,000 a month if you had been paying contributions under the maximum salary credit. For two months, makakapaghanap ka ng trabaho (while looking for work).”
But those benefits could not just be claimed by anybody who have lost their jobs. They must be qualified SSS members. To avail, the members should not be more than 60 years old at the time of sudden unemployment or termination from job, has paid at least 36 months contributions with 12 months required to be within the 18-month period before the involuntary unemployment or separation happened.
The law provides that a member who finds himself involuntarily unemployed is qualified for unemployment benefit which is equivalent to 50 percent of his average monthly salary credit for a maximum of two months. A member can only claim unemployment benefits once every three years.
Employers should regularly remit their part in their employees’ SSS contributions so that the members can avail of this benefit in the future in case there will be inevitable circumstances that lead to involuntary unemployment or separation of their employees. The members should also do their part to check whether their contributions are regularly remitted.
“It will allow you to look for another job. While hindi ka pwedeng magrelax at kailangang maghanap ka agad ng trabaho (You have to find work fast) because you can only get a maximum of two months, you will have something for your expenses,” Gordon, chairman of the Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises,” he concluded.
Source: Manila Bulletin
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