EIS PERKESO Malaysia: How do I claim the EIS benefits? (Part 3)

Editor’s Note: This post was originally written on 3 September 2020, but has been updated and republished to for the year 2023. Rates and figures mentioned below are applicable for 2023 and beyond, until there is further revision.

You’ve finally reached the final segment of our 3-part series on EIS PERKESO Malaysia. If you’re an employee who wants to know how to claim EIS benefits such as the Job Search Allowance (JSA), this article is for you. If you’re an employer, you may want to skip this article, and read these ones instead: EIS PERKESO Malaysia: What is the Employment Insurance System? (Part 1) and EIS PERKESO Malaysia: How to calculate the EIS contribution? (Part 2). 

A quick recap: Who is covered under the Employment Insurance System (EIS)?

If you are a Malaysian citizen or permanent resident aged between 18 to 60 years old, and an employee in the private sector, you would qualify for EIS. 

You are not covered if you belong to any of these categories: domestic workers, self-employed, civil servants, and workers in local authorities and statutory bodies.

In addition, workers aged 57 and above who have never paid contributions before that age are also exempted. 

A simple way to remember is this: EIS falls under the same category as SOCSO in terms of eligibility of contribution. This means whoever is eligible to contribute to SOCSO is also eligible to contribute to EIS.

I just got laid off. How can EIS help me? 

We’re terribly sorry to hear that. This is where EIS acts as a silver lining. If you have been making EIS contributions monthly, you should have been automatically enrolled into the EIS system. 

Now that you have lost your job, you can claim two types of benefits for up to 6 months – namely, 1) monetary benefits and 2) job search assistance. Read on to find out more about each type.

EIS benefits – what are the monetary benefits?

There are 5 main categories of monetary benefits. They are:

Description

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Payment Frequency

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Payment Terms

EIS benefits – what are the job search assistance benefits?

Now that we’ve covered the monetary benefits, let’s review what the job search assistance benefits consist of. There are mainly two:

Description

EIS has recently launched a special Graduate Empowerment Program (GEP). Graduates in their last semester of study may visit EIS Employment Services to receive assistance with job placement; this comes in the form of skills assessment, career counselling, interview workshops, and vocational training etc.

Can I apply for multiple EIS benefits at the same time?

Of course you can. It depends on what you are eligible for. Most people would be able to claim 2-4 categories of benefits. 

E.g. While receiving monthly payments from the  Job Search Allowance (JSA), you can also apply for Training Fee (TF) and Training Allowance (TA) to help you upskill and land a job. If you successfully land a job,  you may be eligible for the Early Re-Employment Allowance (ERA). 

I’m interested in taking up a training course. Where do I find one?

You may check out this list of courses offered. From there, you may apply for a course. Are you a training provider that wants to offer courses? You may also click on the same link above to register your company.

How do I start claiming EIS benefits?

Apply for the benefits via the EIS Portal or go to the nearest SOCSO branch or office (throughout the country including Sabah and Sarawak).

If you encounter issues logging in or have no way of visiting a physical office, contact the customer service hotline at 1300-22-800.

Is there a deadline for claiming EIS benefits? 

There is one indeed. All benefits are to be claimed within 60 days from the date of loss of employment.

In addition, you’ll need to meet the Contributions Qualifying Conditions (CQC) (i.e. must have paid contributions to EIS PERKESO for a minimum number of months within a specified period). 

What documents should I get ready before applying for EIS benefits? 

Before meeting with the SOCSO officer, prepare and bring along the original copy of these documents. For online applications, scan the following documents that you own.

1. NRIC
2. Termination letter (including VSS, MSS, or similar schemes)
3. Payslips (6 months worth, before you lost your job) 
4. Bank account details 

Supporting documents: 

1. A relevant police report (e.g. sexual harassment, threats to family, blackmail, etc)
2. A document that proves you received instructions to perform dangerous duties that are not within your job scope (e.g. a formal email, a recording of a conversation, text messages, etc)
3. Other supporting documents that prove your retrenchment/inability to continue your work at the previous workplace

I’ve already submitted my application as an insured person or dependent. How do I check my status online?

Are you an insured person? Check your status by logging into your account on the EIS portal.  

Are you a dependent? Check your status by keying in your NRIC and EOT Case ID on this page. 

Will I be notified when my application is approved?

You should be notified via email (if you have provided an email address) or by post. You can also check the status of your application online as mentioned above, through the EIS portal.

Thanks, but it’s a lot of information to digest. Could you provide a quick and simple breakdown of what I should do right away as I have lost my job?

Sure! So here’s what you need to do. 

1. Make sure that you are still within 60 days of your loss of employment (i.e. the day you lost your job/got terminated).
2. Register at the EIS Portal and complete your application with the necessary documents (NRIC, Termination Letter, Payslips, Bank Account Details).
3. Wait for the result of your application either that will be sent via email, post, or simply log in to the portal to check.
4. Once your application is approved, complete and submit the Re-Employment Placement Form. 
5. If successful, you’ll later receive a first-month allowance amounting to 80% of your Monthly Assumed Wage (from JSA), credited into your bank account. This should be within 7 working days after your application is approved.

*NEW* (Bonus Section from Budget 2021): SIP PRIHATIN 2.0

What is SIP PRIHATIN? Mentioned in Belanjawan 2021 (Budget 2021), SIP PRIHATIN 2.0 is a 2-month period of Job Search Allowance and Work Preparation Allowance for individuals who returned to work, are not covered under the SOCSO Employment Insurance System, as well as for individuals who are unemployed and active job seekers.

In a nutshell, SIP PRIHATIN 2.0 is the relaxation of EIS conditions so that more employees affected by the ongoing COVID-19 situation can receive financial help. SIP PRIHATIN consists of:

1. An extended Job Search Allowance (previously up to 6 months, now extended to 7th, 8th, and 9th month at 30% of the final previous salary) for eligible employees who are undergoing loss of employment (or LOE).
2. A financial assistance program for employees who do not meet the Contributions Qualifying Conditions (CQC) by paying the required minimum number of SOCSO and EIS monthly contributions, or whose contract was not extended after having been renewed for at least three times previously, are now eligible to apply for SIP Prihatin assistance of 30% of their monthly salary for a period of three months. 
3. An additional financial assistance component that helps to provide coverage of basic expenses while employees search for new employment

What are the elgibility requirements?

Retrenched individuals who are not covered under the Employment Insurance System (EIS)

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Unemployed individuals

Registered and actively searching for jobs via MYFutureJobs portal

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Attend at least 6 interviews in 2 months (in person/online).

Specifically, 3 interviews within 30 days, repeat twice for 2 months

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Keep in mind that there is an emphasis of individuals having to “attend interviews” or “registered and actively searching for jobs via MYFutureJobs portal”. This is called “Job Search Activity”. 

The Job Search Activity period should span 3 months after the application for SIP PRIHATIN 2.0 is made, where:

• Approved applicants will be eligible to receive Elaun Mencari Pekerjaan (EMP) SIP PRIHATIN of RM300 per month for 2 months
• A one-off Elaun Persediaan Bekerja (EPB) payment of RM400 will be applied if applicant is successfully placed in a job within 3 months of making the application for SIP PRIHATIN 2.0

How can I check my eligibility and apply for SIP PRIHATIN?

1. You must first register as a job seeker and complete your MYFutureJobs Profiles

   • You must also register in the PRIHATIN PERKESO app (PlayStore / AppleStore) for payments. Applications can be submitted from 15 July 2021 via the mobile app.

2. You will need to update your activity log for each MYFutureJobs interview attended

   • You must also ensure their return to work date is updated if you do return to work, by uploading supporting documents (offer letter) for the purposes of payment.

For more information on SIP PRIHATIN and on how to register for it, you may refer to the official EIS Centre website.

We’ve come to the end of the 3-part series on EIS PERKESO Malaysia.

I hope this article, as well as the previous ones, EIS PERKESO Malaysia: What is the Employment Insurance System? (Part 1) and EIS PERKESO Malaysia: How to calculate the EIS contribution? (Part 2), have helped to shed some light on what EIS is all about.

Even though EIS is not meant to replace your income entirely, it sure helps in providing some financial relief.

In times like these, a little goes a long way. Don’t give up in finding that next job, stay curious, and I wish you all the best! ♥