SSS serves violation notices to over 1,200 delinquent employers

The Social Security System (SSS) on Tuesday said it has issued violation notices to over 1,200 delinquent employers across the country, with over P335-million worth of contributions needed to be settled.

In a statement, the SSS said the delinquencies affect the social security coverage of some 19,000 employees which would need to be settled as they would not be entitled to claim benefits or apply for loan programs.

SSS members who are hospitalized will also be unqualified to receive sickness benefits should their employers fail in remitting contributions.

According to SSS president and chief executive officer Rolando Ledesma Macasaet, workers should regularly check if their records are updated, with records accessible through the agency’s online platforms.

“If they find out that their employers are not remitting their contributions, we advise them to report it immediately to our SSS Branch Office to investigate,” he said.

“Non-remittance of SSS premiums is a criminal offense that violates Republic Act No. 11199,” he said, referring to the Social Security Act of 2018.

SSS executive vice president for branch operations sector Voltaire Agas also warned that employers who fail to register employees or have not deducted and remitted contributions will be penalized with fines of up to P20,000 and imprisonment of up to 12 years.

“Employers who received the violation notices are given 15 days to coordinate with their respective SSS Branch Office and settle their contribution delinquencies, and if they fail to act on it, SSS will take legal action against them,” Agas said.

Under its mandate, the SSS is tasked to promote social justice and provide protection to members and families against the hazards of disability, sickness, maternity, old age, death, and other contingencies resulting in loss of income or financial burden. —VAL, GMA Integrated News