QUALIFIED Social Security System (SSS) members can now get financial aid under the government’s Uplift (Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food and Transport) assistance program without filing an application form, accessing portal links, or waiting in long queues. Uplift, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), identifies and selects beneficiaries automatically, setting it apart from other government assistance schemes that require applicants to line up and submit paperwork. The SSS said that a member need only to meet all of the criteria like the monthly salary credit (MSC) that must be P20,000 or below, with expanded coverage focusing heavily on those earning an MSC of P10,000 or below. The cash assistance program will be given in four tranches of P2,000 each, to be credited directly to the member’s registered SSS disbursement account. The state pension fund said a member must have paid at least one SSS contribution in 2025 or 2026 and his or her name must appear in the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2024 Community-Based Monitoring System database as part of a low-income or near-poor household. The assistance is limited to one beneficiary per household. If several SSS members live under one roof, only the oldest member qualifies. Once selected, a beneficiary need not lift a finger to claim the aid. There is no registration form, online portal link or walk-in application form to accomplish. The P8,000 is automatically credited directly to the member’s registered SSS disbursement account. The only requirement on the member’s end is ensuring that the receiving account — whether a bank account, e-wallet or Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) account — is properly enrolled through the SSS Disbursement Account Enrollment Module (DAEM). To confirm their eligibility on the program, members can verify their status through their My.SSS Portal in three steps: logging in to the portal, checking the inbox or official notifications for messages about Uplift eligibility and MSC bracket, and confirming that disbursement account details are active and updated under DAEM, if a notification arrived but no funds have posted yet. Since not everyone can receive funds digitally, the assistance can also be received through a manual payout route. Beneficiaries will wait for scheduled announcements from their local government unit or check the official DSWD Field Office social media accounts for their barangay’s designated date and location. During manual payout schedules, government personnel and representatives from local financial service providers — such as LandBank, GCash or Maya — are typically stationed on-site. They can assist beneficiaries in registering their details into the official DSWD Uplift G2P Portal, ensuring that succeeding tranches can be claimed digitally and sparing them from having to fall in line again. For members who receive an official eligibility notification via email or My.SSS but have no access to electronic banking, an SSS branch with tellering facilities serves as a fallback. There, e-Center or help desk personnel can guide members through registration or coordinate with the DSWD for manual processing options. Those claiming through a manual on-site payout must bring two valid government-issued identification cards, specifically an SSS UMID (Unified Multi-Purpose ID) card and PhilSys National, along with photocopies and printed or screenshot copy of the notification.
TThe Manila Times
