Bill seeking 100% hike in GSIS survivorship pension filed in House

A bill seeking a 100% increase in the pension of the spouses of deceased Government Service Insurance Service (GSIS) members has been filed in the House of Representatives.

SSS-GSIS Pensyonado party-list Rep. Rolando Macasaet filed House Bill 7009, saying the increase will significantly strengthen the financial protection for surviving spouses of government pensioners.

A survivorship pension refers to the monthly benefit given to the legal spouse of a deceased member or pensioner, intended to replace the income lost upon the member’s death.

Macasaet’s proposal, which increases the survivorship pension of qualified spouses from the current 50% to 100% of the basic monthly pension, seeks to amend Republic Act 8291 or the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Act of 1997.

He said that surviving spouses often face heightened financial vulnerability following the death of a GSIS member or pensioner, especially amid rising inflation and increasing cost of essential goods and services.

He noted that state-run Social Security System (SSS) gives the full amount of pension to the surviving spouses of their deceased members.  

“The SSS grants 100% of the basic monthly pension for survivorship pensioners. There is no reason why GSIS pensioners’ families should receive less protection than their counterparts in the private sector,” Macasaet pointed out.

“House Bill 7009 is about fairness, compassion, and dignity. The current survivorship benefit, while helpful, is no longer sufficient to ensure a dignified and stable quality of life for beneficiaries left behind,” he added. —AOL, GMA Integrated News