State-run Social Security System (SSS) has reminded its pensioner of the Annual Confirmation of Pensioners' Program (ACOP) deadline next month.
In a statement, Aurora C. Ignacio, SSS president and chief executive officer said on Friday, Feb. 18, said all pensioners who have not yet complied with the ACOP for the calendar year 2021 are required to do so on or before March 31, 2022.
The ACOP, implemented in 2004, is a measure used by the SSS to ensure the continuous payment of benefits to the rightful pensioners in accordance with the Social Security Law.
Retirement pensioners residing in the Philippines, on the other hand, are no longer required to do the ACOP effective Oc. 30, 2017, but they are subject to other verification processes, if applicable.
To recall, the ACOP was suspended from March 2020 until September 2021 in view of the pandemic situation in the country.
“For over one and a half years, we have continuously granted our pensioners their respective pensions without the corresponding reporting under the ACOP since they are high-risk individuals to the virus,” Igancio said.
“We have then resumed the implementation of this program last October 1, 2021, and to make up for the suspension period, we have given all covered pensioners, except those who already complied for CY 2021, a period of six (6) months or until March 31, 2022, to submit their compliance,” she added.
If the pensioners fail to comply, the SSS will temporarily suspend their pensions starting with their May 2022 pensions.
“Starting April 1, 2022, we will follow the usual schedule of compliance for the program, wherein retirement pensioners residing abroad, and total disability pensioners must comply on their birth month,” Igancio said.
“Survivor pensioners must comply within the birth month of the deceased member; while dependents and guardians must comply on the birth month of the member or deceased member, whichever is applicable,” she added.