AMMAN — The Social Security Corporation (SSC) on Tuesday organised a training programme for journalists, designed to familiarise them with the new Social Security Law.
The new law is awaiting His Majesty King Abdullah’s ratification under a Royal Decree after it was endorsed by both Houses of Parliament. It will go into effect once published in the Official Gazette.
The new regulations governing early retirement stipulate that eligible subscribers should either be above 50 and have a minimum of 252 paid subscriptions for men and 228 for women, or have 300 paid subscriptions and be above the age of 45.
SSC Media Director Musa Subeihi said the pensions of early retirees will be linked with inflation rates annually after male subscribers are above 60 and female subscribers are above 55.
The allowance for family members supported by retirees increased from 10 per cent to 12 per cent for the first dependent, and from 5 per cent to 6 per cent for the second and third.
The new law seeks to eliminate the phenomenon of high pensions, he told journalists.
“Salaries eligible for social security deductions can only be up to JD3,000,” Subeihi said, noting that there are currently 117 retirees with pensions exceeding JD5,000 per month.
Widows can combine their pensions, disability insurance or salaries with their share from those of their husbands, he added.
Employers and self-employed individuals are expected to abide by the new law no later than January 1, 2015.
In the case of occupational hazard insurance, the new law gives the employer up to 14 work days after a worker’s injury to report the incident to the SSC, instead of seven days as stipulated in the old law, said Firas Shatnawi, director of the occupational safety department at the SSC.
If there are any delays in reporting a work injury, the institution will pay 15 per cent of the medical bill and the worker’s daily stipend. However, the injured worker or his family have up to four months to report the injury if the institution does not.
Moreover, the new law compensates employees in case of accidents on their way to and from work as long as they take the “usual route or an acceptable alternative”, according to the SSC officials.
