The Social Security System (SSS) released the guidelines for its two assistance programs offered to its members and pensioners residing in areas declared under state of calamity due to Super Typhoon (STY) Karding.
Under its Circular No. 2022-027, the SSS opened the Calamity Loan Assistance Program (CLAP) for members, and the Three-Month Advance Pension for SS and Employees’ Compensation (EC) pensioners residing in Nueva Ecija (Province-Wide); Dingalan, Aurora; Macabebe and Candaba in Pampanga; San Miguel, Bulacan; Cabangan, Zambales; Concepcion, Tarlac; Burdeos, General Nakar, Jomalig, Panukulan, Patnanungan, and Polilio in Quezon Province; and all other areas that may be declared under state of calamity by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) due to the said super typhoon.
The two programs are open for applications from October 7, 2022, until January 6, 2023.
“We hope that through these programs, we may be able to help our affected members and pensioners recover from the adverse effects of STY Karding,” SSS President and CEO Michael G. Regino said.
Under the CLAP, members may avail of a loan equivalent to one monthly salary credit computed based on the average of their last 12 monthly salary credits or the amount they applied for, whichever is lower. It has a payment term of two years (24 equal monthly installments) with a low-interest rate of 10 percent per annum, computed on a diminishing principal balance. The service fee of 1% of the loan amount is waived.
To qualify, a member must: (1) have a registered My.SSS account on the SSS website (www.sss.gov.ph); (2) have at least 36 monthly contributions, six of which should be posted within the last 12 months prior to the month of the filing of application; (3) have at least six posted monthly contributions under the current coverage/membership type prior to the month of loan application for self-employed, voluntary, non-working spouse, and land-based Overseas Filipino Worker members; (4) be a resident of a declared calamity area due to STY Karding and suffered damage or loss to property; (5) have not been granted any final benefit claim such as permanent total disability or retirement; and (6) have no outstanding Restructured Loan or CLAP.
Applications for the CLAP must be coursed through the member’s My.SSS account. The online facility can be found under the Loans Section of the E-Services Tab. For employed members, their application must be certified by their employer.
Calamity loan proceeds will be credited to the member’s Unified Multi-Purpose Identification (UMID) Card enrolled as an ATM. In its absence, it may be credited to the member’s enrolled bank account in the Disbursement Account Enrollment Module (DAEM), which can either be a Philippine Electronic Fund Transfer System and Operations Network (PESONet) participating bank or Union Bank of the Philippines (UBP) Quick Card.
Pensioners in declared calamity areas due to STY Karding, on the other hand, may apply for the Three-Month Advance Pension by submitting at any SSS branch a properly accomplished Application for Assistance Due to Calamity/Disaster duly certified by their Barangay Chairman. In the absence of the certification, a certification from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) or NDRRMC will be accepted.
The proceeds of the advance pension will be released through check by the branch where the pensioner filed his or her application. If the check was not claimed within 10 working days from the branch’s receipt, it will be mailed to the pensioner’s mailing address.
However, pensioners with existing loans under the Pension Loan Program (PLP) are not qualified to apply for the said advance pension.
The complete guidelines of the said programs are posted at https://bit.ly/SSSCI2022-027, while the additional areas declared under state of calamity due to STY Karding are based on the situational reports of the NDRRMC.
