The Social Security System (SSS) has released P732.15 million in unemployment benefit disbursements to 54,282 members from January to June 2021, higher by 407 percent from the same period in 2020.

The number of member beneficiaries of SSS also rose from 11,917 to 54,282 by 355 percent.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Aurora C. Ignacio said that the steep jump of benefit releases is associated with the increase in members' awareness on the availability of the said benefit for those who were involuntarily separated from work mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re glad that this program was able to assist our workers in the private sector especially during these times that majority were left jobless due to the pandemic. Aside from that, the safety and convenience of our online services and checkless disbursements helped our qualified members to get their benefits on time which really served their purpose,” Ignacio added.

The Unemployment Benefit is one of the landmark provisions of the Republic Act No, 11199 or Social Security Act of 2018 effective March 5, 2019.

Qualified are covered employees, including household helpers and overseas Filipino workers who were involuntarily separated from employment due to the economic downturn, natural or human-induced calamities, installation of labor-saving devices; redundancy, retrenchment, or downsizing; closure or cessation of operation; and disease or illness of the employee whose continued employment is prohibited by law or is prejudicial to his or her co-employees' health.

Members must not be over 60 years old at the time of involuntary separation.

In the case of underground or surface mineworkers and racehorse jockeys, they should not be over 50 and 55 years old, respectively.

Members must have also paid at least 36 monthly contributions, 12 months of which should have been paid within the 18-month period before the involuntary separation.

Qualified members will receive a monthly cash benefit which is equivalent to 50 percent of the member's average monthly salary credit for a maximum of two months.

Meanwhile, benefit claims should be filed within one year from the date of member's involuntary separation. However, if the one-year deadline for filing falls on March 5, 2020 up until the last day of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) or general community quarantine (GCQ), the involuntary separated member may still file their claims until 60 days from the declaration of the government of the end of the last day of ECQ or GCQ.