PETALING JAYA: Employers filing claims for wage subsidy programmes (PSU) should understand the criteria and their eligibility clearly to ensure optimum processing time for disbursements to be made, says the Social Security Organisation (Sosco).

Its chief executive officer Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed advised bosses to go through the frequently asked questions (FAQ) sheets before applying.

He said whenever the government announced a wage subsidy programme, there would be requirements for employers to meet.The first wage subsidy scheme was open to all, but PSU 2.0 and PSU 3.0 had conditions, he added.

“For example, employers must prove that their revenue dropped by 30% in the same month compared with the previous year.

“This is one of the requirements for us to ensure that aid is given to companies in need during difficult times. So, employers should read the FAQ and make sure they meet all the criteria before filing their claims to avoid any delay,” he told a virtual press conference yesterday.

He said there were cases where employers put in claims that they were not entitled to, causing delays.

“For example, when an employer’s number of workers is not according to the Socso record, we have to go back to the employer for verification,” he added.

Reminding employers to be informed and not to claim beyond what they were entitled to, he said: “We do not want to undermine others who genuinely need immediate assistance. If employers put in claims that they are not supposed to get, this will delay the process.”

The government, he added, had disbursed RM15.67bil under the various PSU since the Covid-19 pandemic began last year, benefiting 2.74 million employees and 333,533 employers from all sectors of the economy.

“The numbers are not small and we hope all employers understand. We are not blaming them. It’s just that there are those who are not clear about the criteria and think that they are the same for every scheme.

“So read up and then come forward to claim your incentives. We will ensure that whoever is entitled will not be left behind,” he said.

Following the announcement of PSU 4.0 in the Federal Government’s recent National People’s Well-Being and Economic Recovery Package (Pemulih) aid package, Mohammed Azman said the total allocation for the latest programme was expected to grow to RM15.82bil, with Socso allocating RM3.8bil.

He said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had played a big role with his personal input in improving the lot of workers, adding that he constantly reminded Socso to come up with new programmes and initiatives.

Applications for PSU 4.0 will be from Aug 1 to Oct 31 via the Socso website, with disbursements to be made between November this year and February 2022.

Mohammed Azman also said Socso would conduct 180,000 job placements and keep 2.5 million people in their jobs until December under Pemulih.

This was besides the 180,449 job placements that took place from January to July 5 through the government’s MyFuture Jobs portal and Hiring Incentive Programme.

“To ensure more job placements, Socso will organise more programmes to create and offer jobs under Pemulih that will start by July 15,” he said.So far, Socso has conducted 1,168 online job interview programmes with 950 more sessions set to roll out online and physically until the year-end.

Mohammed Azman also urged job seekers to utilise the Job Search Allowance that will be open to non-contributors such as fresh graduates, school-leavers and gig economy workers this time.

“There are more than 231,000 vacancies on the MyFuture Jobs portal. To encourage job-seeking among workers who are not Socso contributors, they will get an allowance of RM300 when they attend three interviews a month for two months.

“They will also receive RM400 once hired. This will benefit 229,000 job seekers who have registered on the portal,” he said.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2021/07/07/socso-check-faq-before-applying-for-subsidy