Guide on How to Apply for the Small Business Wage Subsidy Program (SBWS)

The Philippine government has allocated 51 Billion pesos to provide subsidies for employees of small businesses via Small Business Wage Subsidy Program (SBWS). This program will benefit around 3.4 million small business employees, they will receive a monthly subsidy of ₱5,000-₱8,000 which will be distributed by the Social Security System (SSS).

They created SBWS because there are so many people who are suffering because of this new pandemic that is spreading all around the world that affects the lives of Filipinos. In terms of where they will get money to provide for their daily needs since a lot of companies have temporarily closed due to COVID-19. Good thing there is Small Business Wage Subsidy Program (SBWS), if you want to know more, this might help you.

Eligibility Criteria:

For Employees:

-Small Business Employees
-Employed Until March 01, 2020, but wasn’t able to go to work due to Enhanced Community Quarantine
-Did not receive a wage for two weeks due to temporary closure of work

For Businesses:

-SSS Registered
-BIR Registered
-Compliant with tax obligation (3 years up to January 2020)
-Must not be part of the BIR Large Taxpayer Service (LTS) list
-Companies that are temporarily closed due to ECQ

What are the Conditions of the SBWS Program?

An employee who benefits from the SBWS Program cannot resign during the ECQ period
Employers must maintain the employment status of all eligible employee beneficiaries throughout the SBWS period
The government will keep track of this program throughout the period
Failure to comply means that they must refund the full amount received back to the government

Here’s How to Apply:

1. Visit this link to verify if your enterprise is pre-qualifies for the program: https://www.bir.gov.ph/images/sbws/index.php

2. Once you accessed the link, you will be asked to “Enter Employer TIN”

3. If you’re qualified, a green pop-up will appear including your registered business name and BIR passcode. Please take note of that.
4. Visit the SSS website to start the application procedure
5. Log in to your My.SSS account
6. Once logged in, choose the “Small Business Wage Subsidy” tab on the menu

7. You will then be asked to enter your Passcode and Tax Identification Number (TIN). Click “Proceed” to start the application process
8. A list of employees will be displayed, the employer must choose and then tick the box beside the employee’s SSS number.
NOTE: If the employee is not included on the list the reason maybe he/she is not yet registered with the My.SSS facility or disqualified

9. Once done choosing, the employer shall enter the TIN of the employees
10. After that click on “Employer’s Undertaking” and tick the box
11. Click “I agree” if you agree to their terms and conditions and then proceed
12. Upon successful confirmation, the list of qualified and not qualified employees will be displayed

14. Choose a specific bank from the dropdown menu on where would the employee prefer to receive the subsidy. It can either be a bank or money remittance center.
15. After choosing the mode of payout, the employer shall click “Save”

16. The employer will be given the last chance to review all the information provided and encoded to make sure everything is accurate
17. If everything is correct click “Submit”
18. Submitted information will be displayed for the last time, click “Okay” to proceed
19. After all the process, employer and employees need to wait for SSS email confirmation

For more inquiries contact SSS through their Call Center hotline: 1455 (via cellphone) and 81455 (via landline) or email: [email protected] You can also visit SSS website using this link: https://www.sss.gov.ph

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