The SSS main office in Quezon City. (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — The Social Security System’s (SSS) new chief has clarified that pensioners living in the country need not undergo the mandatory proof-of-life scheme while urging those required to comply before March 31, or else fail to receive their monthly benefit.
In a statement Friday night, SSS president and chief executive Michael Regino said that since 2017, retirement pensioners here in the Philippines were exempted from complying with the annual confirmation of pensioners’ program (Acop). As the SSS wanted to ensure that their pensioner-beneficiaries were still alive and enjoying their benefits, Acop had required pensioners to show up at SSS branches during their birth month.
As for other types of SSS pensioners, Regino said they have until the end of this month to comply with Acop — failure to do so would lead to temporary suspension of their monthly pension benefit beginning May.
Regino said retirement pensioners living abroad, total disability pensioners, survivor (death) pensioners, as well as dependent (minor or incapacitated) pensioners must still undergo Acop.
“It’s important for concerned pensioners to comply with this program so they can enjoy receiving their monthly pensions… Pensioners could send their Acop compliance through the SSS corporate email address of the nearest SSS branch or service office if they reside in the Philippines,” Regino said.
For total disability pensioners, Regino said they can request a home visit by SSS staff through a written request they can send via mail or email to the medical services section of the SSS branch nearest to them.
“[Required pensioners] also have the option to send their compliance through mail or courier service addressed to the branch head of the nearest SSS branch if they reside in the Philippines. If residing overseas, they can send it to the SSS OFW-contact services section located in the SSS main office in Quezon City, or the nearest foreign representative office,” he added.
Regino said another option for pensioners abroad was video conferencing using Microsoft Teams, whose appointment can be scheduled by emailing ofw.relations@sss.gov.ph.
“We recognize the challenges brought about by the pandemic and we have suspended Acop compliance starting February 2020 until September 30, 2021 to protect the safety and health of our pensioners. We devised a way that will no longer require our pensioners to do the annual reporting to the SSS. We implemented various verification procedures to confirm if a retirement pensioner is still alive and entitled to receive his/her monthly pension,” Regino said.
“We established Acop in 2012 to ensure that we are giving the benefits only to those who are entitled under the Social Security Law. Acop protects the SSS fund from various kinds of fraudulent claims wherein some beneficiaries still receive SSS pensions while the member is already deceased, especially for surviving spouses,” he noted.