Job order, contractual workers of DILG, DSWD to get SSS benefits

MANILA, Philippines - Job order and contractual personnel of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will soon enjoy benefits afforded to Social Security System (SSS) members.

The state pension fund forged partnerships with the DILG and DSWD to provide SSS coverage to its job order and contractual hires, numbering 100,000 and 12,000, respectively.

“With DILG and DSWD taking on the task of facilitating the SSS registration and regular remittance of payments of their job order and contractual personnel, these workers can look forward to the advantages of active SSS membership such as availment of benefits and loan privileges,” said Judy France See, SSS senior vice-president for account management.

The Government Service Insurance System does not cover contractuals and job order workers hired by state agencies.

With their SSS coverage, these workers can have access to financial assistance during contingencies such as maternity, sickness, disability, retirement or old age and death.

The SSS plans to forge similar agreements with other state agencies in the coming months.
See clarified that local government units (LGUs) and DWSD central and field offices have no obligation to pay the employer counterpart of the SSS contributions of their job order and contractual personnel.

“However, as part of our agreement, DILG and DWSD have pledged to ensure that their job order and contractual hires are duly reported for SSS coverage, and that they will regularly remit payments for contributions and loans of these workers to the SSS no later than the 10th day after the applicable month,” she said.

The workers’ monthly net earnings to be declared to SSS, which serve as basis for the amount of contributions, shall not be lower than the income stated in their service contracts.

The LGUs and DSWD offices will also immediately report new job order and contractual hires for SSS coverage.

The SSS, on the other hand, will assign a representative or account officer from the nearest SSS branch to assist with the SSS needs of an LGU or DSWD office. SSS branches will also monitor the compliance of LGUs and DSWD offices to the terms of the coverage agreement.