Retirement is one of the stages in life that working people always look forward to, especially by those who have spent their productive years in their respective professions. This is the time when one is no longer bound to wake up early, travel to work, and spend eight hours in the office. With more free time on their schedule, some retirees pursue activities that they have withheld for some time. Some love to travel to their favorite places of interests, while some just wanted a peaceful and relaxing time with their loved ones. This is life’s rewards when you can finally enjoy the fruits of your labor after years of hard work.
In line with the SSS’ 64th Anniversary theme “Handog sa Miyembro, Serbisyong Makabago,” which aims to provide members with faster, simpler, and easier transactions, SSS has made enhancements on its online filing of Retirement Benefit Claims through the My.SSS Portal. As early as 2015, we have already made this available to our members who have reached their compulsory retirement age of 65 years old. Throughout the years, SSS has continuously improved its systems and procedures to make it more convenient to members, pensioners, and other stakeholders. We always work on the premise of providing universal and equitable social protection through world-class service and we never stop instituting various innovations and improving the systems we have in place for the benefit of our members.
There are several enhancements made to the online filing of Retirement Claim Application (RCA) which are beneficial to member-applicants. First is the expanded service reach as qualified Self-Employed (SE) members aged 60-64 years old will now be covered under the guidelines on the enhanced online filing of retirement benefit claim through the My.SSS Portal. Effective December 29, 2021, members with dependent children, members who are racehorse jockeys, and surface/underground mineworkers may now also upload their required supporting documents online.
Second is the online certification with undertaking which replaces the existing procedures that requires submission of an Affidavit of Separation from employer or an Affidavit of Cessation of Business/Self-Employment at the branch as supporting documents for over-the-counter (OTC) filing of claim. Additionally, we have put in place additional system validation rules in order to reduce the rejection rate of online transactions for handling by branches.
Under the enhanced online filing of RCA, all qualified employee-members, SE, Voluntary Members (VMs), and Land-Based Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) members shall file the retirement benefit claim online through the My.SSS portal.
Primarily, they must be registered through the My.SSS portal in the SSS website and must have a UMID card enrolled as ATM or an approved disbursement account in the Disbursement Account Enrollment Module (DAEM) in the My.SSS portal.
For employee-members who are 60 to 64 years old as of date of retirement, the following conditions shall apply:
1. if with contribution/s within 12 months prior to the month of retirement, a request for online certification shall be sent to the employer. The latest employer per SSS record shall certify the employee-member’s date of separation from employment through the employer’s account in the My.SSS portal; and
2. if with no contribution/s within 12 months prior to the month of retirement, a Certificate of Separation shall not be required.
SE members who are 60 to 64 years old as of date of retirement and with posted contribution/s applicable after the month of cessation of business/self-employment, per SSS record, shall have the following options before proceeding with the online filing of retirement benefit claim through the My.SSS portal:
1. to encode the correct date of cessation of business/self-employment;
2. to refile the retirement benefit claim online on or after the applicable month of the last posted SE contribution; or
3. to execute an online certification with undertaking that only contribution/s applicable up to the month of cessation of business/self-employment shall be considered in his/her retirement benefit claim and he/she understands that the SSS shall determine the handling of contribution/s not considered based on applicable policies.
Please take note that the SE member’s reason for the said online certification shall only be because the posted contribution/s applicable after the month of cessation of business/self-employment was/were paid prior to cessation of business/self-employment but applicable for month/s after the cessation of business/self-employment (i.e., advance payment).
Moreover, SE members who are 60 to 64 years old as of date of retirement shall be required to execute an online certification with undertaking of his/her date of cessation of business/self-employment upon online submission of his/her retirement benefit claim through the My.SSS portal, in lieu of uploading and submission of documents as proof.
On the other hand, VM and Land-Based OFW members who are 60 to 64 years old as of date of retirement and with posted contribution/s applicable on and/or after the month of online filing of retirement benefit claim through the My.SSS portal (i.e., advance payment), per SSS record, shall have the following options before proceeding with the said online filing:
1. to refile the retirement benefit claim online after the applicable month of the last posted VM or Land-Based OFW contributions; or
2. to confirm the deletion of the said contribution/s and that he/she understands that the SSS shall determine the handling thereof based on applicable policies.
Members may also receive an on-screen notification to refile the retirement benefit claim online through the My.SSS portal on or after a specific month when his/her paid contributions for at least 120 months are prior to the semester of retirement, in order to qualify for pension benefit.
They may be required, among others, to upload supporting document/s and/or execute an online certification with undertaking to proceed with the online filing of retirement benefit claim through the My.SSS portal, or may receive a notification to file at any SSS Branch Office (BO)/Foreign Representative Office (FRO), for the following conditions/cases:
1. with dependent child/children;
2. racehorse jockey;
3. underground or surface mineworker;
4. disapproval/expiration of the request for online employer certification, as applicable in the case of employee-member; and/or
5. other conditions/cases as may be determined by the SSS.
For those who are at least 60 years old and have paid less than 120 monthly contributions, they shall have the following options before proceeding with the online filing of retirement benefit claim through the My.SSSportal:
1. to cancel the online filing and continue paying contributions to qualify for pension benefits; or
2. to proceed with the online filing for application of lump sum benefit and confirm his/her understanding that no other benefit is due thereafter except for funeral benefit.
The member shall be required to certify that the information provided in his/her online filing of retirement benefit claim through the My.SSS Portal are true, correct, and accurate. The member, including any person/s involved, shall be held liable under all circumstances for any false information, misrepresentation, and fraud in accordance with Section 28 of Republic Act 11199 and other applicable laws.
Retirement benefit claims filed online through the My.SSS portal, including uploaded supporting documents and online certification with undertaking, shall be subject to further validation/review and processing prior to approval for payment.
The processing time shall start upon the acknowledgement of the online submission of member’s retirement benefit claim through the My.SSS portal with complete requirements, including the approved online certification by employer for employee-member as applicable.
Members will experience the changes in functionality in phases, but they need not worry because e-mail notifications shall be sent to them regarding the status their retirement benefit claims submitted online through the My.SSS portal such as:
1. acknowledgement of successful submission;
2. approval/disapproval/expiration of the request for online employer certification, as applicable in the case of employee-member;
3. approval/Rejection of claim; and/or
4. other notification/s as deemed necessary by the SSS.
Retirement benefits shall be credited to the member’s UMID card enrolled as ATM or the preferred disbursement account in DAEM in the My.SSS portal, in accordance with applicable policies.
Retirement benefit claims with any of the following conditions/cases shall be filed at any SSS BO/FRO if they have:
1. outstanding Stock Investment Loan Program (SILP)/Privatization Loan Program/Educational Loan/Vocational Technology Loan balance;
2. dependent child/children under guardianship;
3. been confined in an applicable institution such as penitentiary, correctional institution or rehabilitation center, incapacitated, and under guardianship;
4. application of Portability Law or Bilateral Social Security Agreements;
5. request for adjustment or for re-adjudication of claim; and
6. unclaimed benefit of deceased member.
It really pays off being an SSS member especially if you started working in the private sector when you’re still in your early or mid-20s. What you reap is what you sow and sometimes more than that when you start receiving your SSS pension.
Have a productive week ahead!
Aurora C. Ignacio is SSS president and chief executive officer.
We welcome your questions and insights on the topics that we discuss. E-mail mediaaffairs@sss.gov.ph for topics that you might want us to discuss.
