SSS to offer P20,000 calamity loan amid COVID-19 threat

The Social Security System (SSS) will offer a P20,000 calamity loan to aid its members amid the enhanced community quarantine due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an official said Wednesday.

Fernan Nicolas, SSS' concurrent head for public affairs and special division, said that this benefit will be rolled out in two weeks and can be accessed by SSS members by filing an application online.

“Pino-program lang po namin ang aming computer system kasi first time po na mago-offer kami ng calamity loan using the online facility, kasi nga po bawal lumabas ang mga tao,” Nicolas said in an interview over Dobol B sa News TV.

“By second week of April po, puwede na po iyang ma-avail. Mai-implement na po namin iyan.”

Nicolas also said that SSS members who have an existing salary loan can also avail of the calamity loan, provided that the member pays his or her SSS loan dues on time.

“As long as hindi ka delinquent borrower, puwede ka sa calamity loan,” Nicolas pointed out.

Nicolas then assured SSS members that they can still apply for salary loan even amid the enhanced community quarantine by logging on to sss.gov.ph.

“Sa regular salary loan, wala ng masyadong documentation na kailangan. May form lang online, at ipa-process po ito ng SSS. Ginagawan po namin ng paraan na maipasok ito sa savings account nila,” Nicolas said.

As for SSS pensioners who receive their pension through their savings account, Nicolas said their pension benefit for April has already been deposited as of April 1.

SSS members who lost their jobs due to the enhanced community quarantine amid COVID-19, for their part, can avail of the SSS' one-time payout under unemployment benefit program which pays the member P20,000 at the maximum, depending on the salary rate.

SSS members who can avail of the unemployment, Nicolas said, should have at least paid SSS contribution for 36 months.

“Ito po ang ayuda natin para makapagsimula sila ulit,” he said.

Lastly, SSS has also implemented moratorium on contribution payments.

For employer payments, SSS contribution dues in February, March and April can be paid on June 1, 2020 without penalty, according to Nicolas.

Voluntary members, for their part, can pay their January, February and March contribution dues in June 1, 2020 without penalty. --KBK, GMA News