The Department of Finance (DOF) said that the online filing and registration of new employees as members of the Social Security System (SSS) along with the submission of most forms and benefit claims have been made mandatory.
In a statement, the DOF said the mandatory online registration and filing of benefits begun last July 15 in compliance with an earlier directive of Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III to the pension fund to shift to digital technology.
In a report to Dominguez, the SSS said the release of loans and benefits to members, except for unbanked pensioners, have also been made “cheque-less” through the use of PesoNet and other electronic payment systems as of July this year.
Aurora Cruz Ignacio, SSS president and chief executive said the state-run firm is targeting to include unbanked pensioners in the “cheque-less” release of benefits by October this year.
She said that since July 15, the submission of the Maternity Notification Form for pregnant female members and the Sickness Notification Form were required by the SSS to be done online.
The Retirement Benefit Claim of members who are at least 65 years old and the application for Unemployment Insurance Benefit (UIB) are also made online, Aurora said.
The online filing of the applications for the Calamity Loan and Salary Loan were made mandatory by the SSS a month earlier on June 15, while the filing of the Sickness Benefit Reimbursement Claim of employers was required to be done online as of July 1 this year.
The online enrollment of bank accounts in the My.SSS or SSS online portal is already mandatory for members since June 2020 and for employers starting August 2020.
This online enrollment will enable the SSS to automatically deposit benefits to the member’s and employer’s enrolled bank account.
Dominguez, who is also the ex-officio chairman of the Social Security Commission (SSC), urged the SSS early last year to use digital tools to make it easier for its members to access its services.
The finance chief said modernizing the SSS’ system will also help cut overhead costs for the pension fund.
He said the SSS needs to be prudent in managing its expenses, given that its task involves taking care of the hard-earned savings of Filipino workers.
“We have to do some serious investments in technology because it will not only save us money, but will also save time for the transacting public. Online transactions are easier and more convenient,” Dominguez said.