LEGAZPI CITY – Pensioners of the Social Security System (SSS) who are 80 years old and above will soon be required to do the annual confirmation in person.
In an interview on Monday, SSS-Bicol spokesperson Jeanette Mapa said starting March this year, a total of 1,689 older pensioners in the region need to comply with the new requirement under the Annual Confirmation of Pensioners (ACOP).
Previously, they were not required to personally report for the verification procedure to receive their benefits.
"Ang ACOP program ng SSS ay kung saan ang mga pensioner ay taunang nagrereport sa SSS upang masigurong tuloy-tuloy ang pagbabayad ng kanilang buwanang pension alinsunod sa Social Security Act of 2018. Ito ay para matiyak din na ang SSS pension ay napupunta sa karapat-dapat na tumanggap nito (The ACOP program ensures that pensioners receive the benefits themselves and not other people pursuant to the Social Security Act of 2018. It requires pensioners to report annually to SSS or their depository banks to ensure the continuous payment of their benefits)," Mapa said.
However, pensioners who are abroad and those who have total disability are still exempted from the personal confirmation.
"The pensioner can request home visits for those who cannot report personally due to sickness, illness, or injury. They will just submit a letter request by mail or email signed by the pensioner, relative, or guardian indicating the reason for the home visit. They also need to submit two secondary identification cards of the pensioners and a sketch of their residence," Mapa said.
Pensioners residing abroad can comply with the ACOP through a video conference facility, she added.
"Failure to comply with the ACOP will lead to the automatic suspension of pension payments one month after the pensioner's or SSS member's birth month," Mapa said. (PNA)
