LE MINH LY, BINH DUONG SOCIAL INSURANCE DIRECTOR: Urgently implementing policies to support those affected by Covid-19 pandemic

The Prime Minister has just issued the Decision No. 28/2021/QDTTg  dated October 1, 2021 regulating the implementation of policies to support employees and employers affected by Covid-19 pandemic from the Unemployment Insurance Fund. This is an urgent policy to support employees and employers in the extremely difficult context, due to the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. For greater concern, Binh Duong newspaper had an interview with Le Minh Ly, Director of Binh Duong Social Insurance.

- The Decision No. 28/2021/QD-TTg stipulates the implementation of the policy to support employees and employers affected by Covid-19 pandemic from the Unemployment Insurance Fund. Please tell us about who will be supported this time and how will the transaction work be done?

- The beneficiaries for this support policy are: Employees participating in unemployment insurance as defined in the Article 43 of the Employment Law who are participating in unemployment insurance at the time of September 30, 2021 (named on the list of participants in unemployment insurance of social insurance agencies; excluding State agencies, political organizations, socio-political organizations, people's armed forces, public non-business units funded by the State budget).

Employees who have stopped paying unemployment insurance due to the termination of their labour contracts or working contracts between January 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021, and have unemployment insurance premium payment period reserved in accordance with the employment law, are also eligible for the support, excluding retirees who receive monthly pensions. This does not apply to subjects who do not receive support voluntarily.

Regarding the transaction method, employers and employees can apply for the support via the following forms: Online form through the National Public Service Portal, the Public Service Portal of the Vietnam Social Insurance or organizations providing I-VAN service, VssID application (digital social insurance), the postal service; direct form at social insurance agencies at provincial or district levels. Note: Only submitting applications at social insurance agencies upon request. For employees participating in unemployment insurance, they need to directly contact units or enterprises for detailed advice and guidance.

-This support package shows the profound attention of the Party and State to employees and employers. Could you please tell me about the order and procedures for employees and employers to receive this support package?

 - For employees participating in unemployment insurance: The social insurance agency makes a list of employees participating in unemployment insurance under the Form No. 01 and sends it to employers. By the end of October 20, 2021, the social insurance agency must complete the task of sending the list to all employers and publicize the list of employees eligible for support on the websites of provincial-level social insurance agencies.

Within 5 working days from the date of receiving the list sent by social insurance agencies, employers will publicize the list of employees eligible for support to have information supplementation. Within 10 working days from the date of receiving the correct and complete list of employees and within 20 days from the date of receiving the list of employees with adjusted information sent by employers, social insurance agencies will pay support to employees. For employees who have stopped participating in unemployment insurance: They should send requests for support to provincial or district-level social insurance agencies in their place of residence. The deadline for receiving support requests is no later than December 20, 2021. Within 10 working days from the date of receiving support requests from employees, social insurance agencies will pay support for employees no later than December 31, 2021.

- For those who stopped working and enjoyed unemployment benefits, do they get allowances? And how many employees and employers in the province will be supported from this support policy?

- For those who were working at the time of September 30, 2021, they will get support based on their unemployment insurance premium payment period. For employees who quit their jobs in the period from January 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021, and enjoyed unemployment benefits, they will be still entitled to this support if still having odd months or not yet enjoying support for reservation period.

For employees enjoying this support, their process of paying unemployment insurance premium that has not received unemployment benefits yet will still be counted to settle their unemployment insurance regime later. This is because the support policy under this resolution is independent of unemployment insurance in accordance with to the provisions of the Employment Law.

For the period from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2022, employers will have their unemployment payment premiums reduced from 1 percent of their wage funds to zero percent for a duration of 12 months from October 1. Employees will be still counted as the period of participation in unemployment insurance as usual. It is expected that more than 1.4 million employees in the province will enjoy allowances with a total amount of about VND3.5 trillion. There are about 12,851 units enjoying with the amount of unemployment insurance reductions for 12 months of over VND 415 billion.

- In order to create favorable conditions for employees and employers to be able to access allowances in the shortest time, how has provincial social insurance agency implemented this support policy?

- After the decision was issued, provincial Social Insurance has actively made dissemination of information about the decision on the internet and social networks so that employees and employers could get information about it. All staff of provincial Social Insurance have also been ordered to "ensure the implementation of steps to support employees and employers in a simple, convenient, fastest and most accurate way". Based on management data, provincial Social Insurance will make a list of groups and estimate the amount for payment; notify employers of requesting employees to update their phone numbers, ID card numbers, personal accounts; coordinate with the People's Committees of communes and wards to inform the list of employees eligible for the support policy; work with commercial banks to create favorable conditions for employees to open personal accounts…

- Thank you!

Reported by Tuong Vy-Translated by Kim Tin