Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the Saudi capital have complained about the slow processing of their pension application by the Social Security System (SSS).

A Filipino said that he informed Danny Q. Calape, the SSS representative in the Saudi capital, that he intended to apply and that a request was sent to the head office in the Philippines.

“Almost three months had passed but he had not received an answer from SSS. He said that verification on my payments should be made before I could file my application for the SSS pension,” he said.

SSS is a pension fund for individuals working in the private sector in the Philippines, as well as OFWs who are voluntary members. They should have made a total of 120 monthly contributions.

After they retire at age 60, they apply for their monthly pension; although OFWs who want to receive a bigger pension could pay up to the age of 65, with the maximum amount allowed as monthly contributions.

The OFW said that he followed up with SSS’s main office in Quezon City, a Manila suburb, regarding his application, but was told that the verification request by the SSS representative in Riyadh had not yet been received.

He complained about the slow procedure, saying that since OFWs are called new heroes, some consideration should be accorded to them. He also said that processing the pension claims of retirees in the Philippines was faster than the pension claims of OFWs.

Another OFW said that he was facing the same problem. When he took his vacation recently, he also inquired with the SSS if it had received the request for verification regarding his payments.

“I was told by officials that they had not yet received it,” he said.

He also asked why retirees working in local firms in the country receive their pension much faster that OFWs.

“I was told that the only requirement from retirees from local companies in the country are proof of separation from service, while voluntary members like OFWs have their payments verified,” he said.

“The problem is that this verification process takes a long time,” he added.

After returning to the Kingdom, he called Calape and asked him to go to the Philippine Embassy, where he holds office, to sign a form indicating that all his SSS monthly contributions are in order.

Arab News contacted Calape regarding the complaints and he said that he had suggested that the verification process be done away with during a meeting among SSS officials.

“I made the suggestion in one of the meetings I attended, but I was told that it is necessary,” he said.