SSS releases P71.8M for additional P1,000 benefit under special cases

The state-run Social Security System on Thursday said it has released about P71.84 million to its partner banks for the P1,000 additional benefit of the first batch of pensioners under special cases.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel F. Dooc said that the first batch of the pensioners under the special cases may withdraw their additional P1,000 benefit on Friday, March 31.

“We are glad to announce that some 41, 000 pensioners under the special cases may withdraw their additional P1,000 benefit for the months of January to March on Friday. Since this is retroactive since the approval of President Duterte on January 10, they will receive around P1,000 to P3,000 pension differential tomorrow,” Dooc said.

SSS earlier classified pensioners with special cases as it has to run a special program for about 10 percent of its pensioners who are not regularly receiving their monthly pension as of the approval of the P1,000 additional benefit on January 10 since their pension computation varies depending on the nature of their pension status.

Among the pensioners who will receive up to P3,000 additional pension on Friday were those under the Special Pension System which includes death claim with more than one payee and one of them is overpaid; payees with withheld share; and those covered by a Bilateral Social Security Agreement between the Philippines and other countries and the Portability Law.

Dooc earlier clarified that for the death benefit with multiple payees, they will receive the P1,000 additional benefit divided equally among them.

“Since we have clarified this earlier, we are reminding our pensioners that the P1,000 additional benefit for the three-month period for pensioners of death with multiple payees will be shared equally among them,” Dooc said.

SSS also clarified the additional benefit for pensioners on suspended status due to non-compliance with the Annual Confirmation of Pensioners (ACOP) but are up for resumption within January to March 2017, is already integrated in their monthly regular pension upon its resumption.

For the first batch of the additional P1,000 benefit under special cases, SSS has released P71.849 million for the 41,486 pensioners. Of the total number of pensioners for the first batch of special cases, 6,685 pensioners belong to the Special Pension System while the remaining include pensioners who have resumed their monthly pension after their ACOP compliance.

Meanwhile, retiree-pensioners who availed of the advance 18 months retirement pension from August 2015 onwards will receive the P1,000 additional benefit on May 12 to cover the remaining months starting January 2017.

Pensioners with settled initial disability, death and retirement (DDR) claims from November 2016 to April 2017 as well as those who filed for adjustment in their pension will be able to withdraw their P1,000 additional benefit from their bank accounts on May 12.

Other types of pensioners scheduled to receive the additional benefit on May 12 are partial disability pensioners with less than 12 months duration of monthly pension but paid in lump sum. The additional P1,000 benefit shall be paid for the number of months they received the disability pension starting January 2017.

For pensioners who availed of the three-month advance pension due to typhoons Lawin and Nina last year, they will be paid their pension differential on May 26.

Only about 13,000 pensioners with unpaid loans will not be able to receive the P1,000 additional benefit to offset any outstanding obligation.

For questions and clarifications, pensioners may call the SSS hotline at numbers 920-6446 to 55 or email [email protected]./rga