Social Security System (SSS) members who have lost their jobs may apply for the SSS unemployment benefit under Republic Act 11199 or the Social Security Act of 2019, which President Duterte signed into law last February 8, 2019.

Sen. Richard Gordon, an author of the law, said involuntary separation benefits for the state SSS members could help tide them over while they are looking for work.

LOOK: President Duterte signed bills expanding the coverage of SSS to include more overseas Filipino workers and bolstering the regulatory powers of the BSP https://t.co/zohUnHJjGN pic.twitter.com/h4MoTUePJg— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) February 18, 2019

“For the first time in the country’s history, we now have unemployment insurance. It will start with two months, at least you can get P10,000 a month if you had been paying contributions under the maximum salary credit,” Gordon said.

Under Section 14-B of RA 11199, an SSS member who finds himself involuntarily unemployed can claim SSS unemployment benefit equivalent to 50 percent of his average monthly salary credit for a maximum of two months.

The member should not be more than 60 years of age and has paid at least 36 months’ contributions, 12 months of which should be within the 18-month period prior to the involuntary unemployment or separation. A member can only claim unemployment benefits once every three years.

“It will allow you to look for another job. While you can’t relax and you have to look for a job because you can only get a maximum of two months, you will have something for your expenses,” he said.