SSS: Calamity assistance package available for Luzon quake victims

The Social Security System (SSS) on Thursday announced that members and pensioners affected by the recent magnitude 7.0 earthquake that jolted northern Luzon last month may now avail of the pension fund’s calamity assistance package.

It is available until November 14, 2022, SSS president and CEO Michael Regino said in a statement.

The calamity assistance package consists of members’ Calamity Loan Assistance Program (CLAP) and the three-month advance pension for pensioners in earthquake-stricken areas in Abra and Mountain Province.

In Mountain Province, towns in a state of calamity include Bauko and Besao, while in Abra, these areas are Bangued, Boliney, Bucay, Bucloc, Daguioman, Danglas, Dolores, Lacub, Lagangilang, Lagayan, Langiden, La Paz, Licuan, Luba, Malicbong, Manabo, Penarrubia, Pidigan, Pilar, Sallapadan, San Isidro, San Juan, San Quintin, Tayum, Tineg, Tubo, and Villaviciosa.

Regino said that members and pensioners residing in other earthquake-affected areas where a state of calamity could be declared by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) or the Sangguniang Bayan, Panlunsod, or Panlalawigan may also avail of the assistance package.

Under the CLAP, he said, qualified members can avail of a loan equivalent to their one month salary credit (MSC) computed based on the average of their last 12 MSCs or the amount they applied for, whichever is lower.

To qualify, affected members must meet the following requirements:

• Have a My.SSS account at www.sss.gov.ph
• Have at least 36 monthly contributions, six of which must be posted within the last 12 months before the month of filing of application
• If self-employed, voluntary (including Non-Working Spouse), or land-based Overseas Filipino Worker members must have at least six monthly contributions under the current membership type
• A resident of a calamity-stricken area who suffered damage or loss to their properties due to the earthquake
• Have not been granted any final benefit such as permanent total disability or retirement;
• Have no outstanding Loan Restructuring Program (LRP) or CLAP
• If employed, the member’s employer must certify the CLAP application through online My.SSS facility

Interested members can apply for the calamity loan online through their respective My.SSS account, the SSS chief said.

Meanwhile, retirement, disability, and survivor pensioners under the Social Security (SS) Program and disability and survivor pensioners under the Employees’ Compensation (EC) Program may apply for a three-month advance pension, according to Regino.

Interested SS and EC pensioners must be residents of the earthquake-stricken areas declared under the state of calamity.

To apply for the three-month advance pension, they should submit the following to any SSS branch:

• Accomplished Application for Assistance Due to Calamity/Disaster Form certified by the Barangay Chairman
• In case the form is not certified by the Barangay Chairman, they can submit the form with a certification from either the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) or NDRRMC

Pensioners can download the application form at the SSS’s website.

However, Regino said that retirement pensioners who have existing loans under the Pension Loan Program (PLP) cannot avail of the three-month advance pension.

“Through this SSS Calamity Assistance Package, we can offer immediate financial aid to our members and pensioners as they try to recover from the effects of the recent earthquake,” he said. — BM, GMA News