The Social Security System is practically knocking at the doorsteps of its millions of members.
SSS has renewed its calls on its retiree-pensioners to tap its low-interest Pension Loan Program (PLP) for their immediate financial needs instead of borrowing from loan sharks or “Sangla-ATM” lenders and their ilk.
SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Rolando Ledesma Macasaet said SSS launched the PLP to assist SSS retiree-pensioners to make use of low-interest rate of 10% per annum computed on a diminishing principal balance, which is a far cry from those being lent by loan sharks. “Aside from low interest rate, SSS will not require them to surrender their ATM cards as collaterals, unlike the practice of some private lending institutions. We also do not charge any processing or service fee when they avail of the pension loan,” Macasaet said. Qualified retiree-pensioners can borrow a loan of up to three, six, nine, or 12 times their basic monthly pension (BMP) plus the P1,000 additional benefit or their aggregate monthly pension.
The maximum loanable amount is pegged at P200,000 since the SSS has to ensure that the borrower’s net take-home pension is at least 47.25% of the aggregate monthly pension.
The SSS chief said the PLP also has an extended repayment period. “A pension loan of three and six times the pensioner’s aggregate monthly pension has a payment term of six and 12 months, respectively. On the other hand, a pension loan of nine or 12 times the aggregate monthly pension has a payment term of 24 months,” he added.
The state pension fund is waiving the 1% service fee to subsidize the payment for the borrower’s premium of the Credit Life Insurance (CLI).
To qualify for the loan, retiree-pensioners must be 85 years of age or below at the end of the last month of the loan term;
must have no deductions such as outstanding loan balance, benefit overpayment payable to the SSS, etc., from their monthly pension;
must have no existing advance pension under the SSS Calamity Assistance Package;
must be receiving their regular monthly pensions for at least one month, and the pension status is “Active”; and
must have updated “mailing address and mobile number.”
Retiree-pensioners may submit their loan applications at the nearest SSS branch office or through their My.SSS account.
Once approved, loan proceeds will be credited to their nominated bank account or UnionBank quick card, within three working days for online applications and five working days if filed over-the-counter through the SSS branch.
With this low-interest, fraud-proof loan program, SSS has found a new way to ease the financial burden of retiree-pensioners. At the same time, it takes out the loan sharks from the picture.
