Socso benefits you may not be aware of
THE Social Security Organisation (Socso) monthly contribution may not be an obvious deduction from one’s monthly payslip but it gives workers a form of workplace insurance.
The coverage by Socso is basic but quite unique as well and some are specifically tailored to the worker’s dependents.
Monthly contribution to the Socso fund is also reasonable with employees covering almost a quarter of the cost while the employer bears the rest of it.
According to Socso’s webpage, the total coverage cost for workers who are earning a wage of RM1,000 is RM23.60 per month while the maximum monthly coverage cost is RM88.80 for those whose wages exceed RM4,000 per month.
Some of the forms of coverage include the areas of personal accident and there is some form of basic medical coverage.
Notably, one of the areas covered is medical benefit which also covers areas which requires follow-up treatment such as kidney dialysis.
Physical or vocational rehabilitation is also covered and these include: physiotherapy; occupational therapy; reconstructive surgery; the supply of prosthetics, orthotics and other appliances and the supply of orthopedics apparatus such as wheelchair, crutches, hearing aid, spectacles, special shoes and others, Socso states on its website.
It states that insured workers who are suffering from injuries sustained from employment or occupational diseases may receive free medical treatment at their panel clinic or a government clinic or hospital until they have fully recovered.
More serious injuries are also treatable in the government hospitals and the insured will be eligible for a second class ward and treatment.
Meanwhile, Socso also covers and pays a reimbursement to an employee who is temporarily disabled and is not able to go to work and not able to earn a salary during this period.
According to the Socso website, the temporary disablement benefit will be paid for the period the employee is on medical leave certified by a doctor for not less than four days including the day of accident.
“However, this benefit will not be paid for the days for which the employee works and earns wages during this period,” it says.
“The daily rate of the temporary disablement benefit is 80% of the employee’s average assumed daily wage. The minimum rate is RM30 per day while the maximum rate is RM105.33 per day,” it adds.
Meanwhile, an employee who suffers from permanent disability can also apply for such a benefit and would be paid a lump sum or a mix of a portion of the eligible lump sum and a monthly subsistence allowance for a person’s whole life.
The daily rate of the permanent disablement benefit is 90% of the employee’s average assumed daily wage and is subject to a minimum of RM30 per day or a maximum of RM118.50 per day.
“Claims must be made within 12 months from the last date of the temporary disablement,” Socso says.
Another coverage that’s offered to the insured dependents are the education loans for the employee’s child.
This will be the case if the employee dies from an injury when in the midst of doing his or her work task and is also applicable for an insured who’s receiving periodical payments from the permanent disablement benefit.
As at press time, Socso states on its website that the education loan is charged at an interest rate of 2% and is also subject to their other terms and conditions.
Dependents of an employee are also fully thought of under the dependents’ benefit category should the insured die from an injury while working.
For married employees who die from a workplace incident, the widower or widow would receive three fifths of the share of 90% of the average assumed daily wage even though the latter chooses to remarry eventually.
While the child of the insured is eligible to receive two fifths of the insured’s daily wage.
Interestingly, if an employee is not married, the parents, brother or sister and grandparents are then considered dependents and are also eligible to receive a portion of the former’s insured daily wage if any untoward incident takes place.