By CHINO S. LEYCO
State-run Social Security System (SSS) said yesterday that members and pensioners affected by Typhoon "Ursula" last December may now avail of the pension fund’s calamity assistance package (CAP).
Aurora C. Ignacio, SSS president and chief executive said they have allocated nearly ₱260 million for CAP and more than 398,000 paying members and pensioners in the Visayas and Region IV-B are qualified to apply for the relief assistance package.
“It was devastating for our kababayans in the Visayas as they were hardly-hit by Typhoon Ursula during the holiday season. Hopefully, the CAP that we are currently offering will help them with their immediate financial needs,” Ignacio said.
Qualified SSS pensioners who are residing in calamity-stricken areas that are declared under the state of calamity by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council may avail the advance three-month pension.
On the other hand, regular-paying SSS members may avail the calamity loan assistance, and direct house repair and improvement loan.
The areas declared under state of calamity were Eastern Samar and Leyte as well as the municipalities of San Jose in Occidental Mindoro, Kalibo and Malay in Aklan, Libertad and Pandan in Antique, Sigma in Capiz, Carles and Concepcion in Iloilo, Madridejos in Cebu and Daram in Samar.
“Members and pensioners residing in other areas that may be declared by NDRRMC as under state of calamity within the prescribed application period may also avail of the CAP,” Ignacio said.
The CAP includes a loan program, which is different from the regular salary loan, where members are allowed to borrow up to ₱20,000 depending on their monthly salary credit as well as financial assistance to pensioners.
Ignacio said the pension fund allocated ₱259.48 million for the CAP which can be broken down into ₱234.3 million for the loan assistance while some ₱25.14 million for the advance three-month pensions.
To qualify for SSS calamity loans, members should have a home address or property in the affected areas and had paid a minimum of 36 monthly contributions wherein six of its have been paid within the 12-month period before the date of application. However, members who availed the SSS Loan Restructuring Program and those with final benefit claims, such as total permanent disability and retirement, are excluded from the program.
“An additional requirement for applicants is that they must registered on the My.SSS facility to allow us to generate their billing letters accordingly especially during payments so, it will be automatically be posted under their account,” Ignacio added.