FSS paid unemployment subsidy to 17,000 during the pandemic

The Social Security Fund (FSS) has paid, since 2020 and until the end of 2022, 17,000 unemployment subsidies to local residents, a statistic release from the service has noted.

Of the 17,000 unemployment subsidies granted, 64.7% (11,000) were paid for the period of 90 days, the maximum allowed by the law.

The subsidy, granted to workers who have lost their jobs without a just cause and who cannot immediately find another in a short period granted these residents the amount of 150 patacas per day, that is, 4,500 patacas per month, up to a ceiling of 13,500 patacas (three months).

In the same release, the FSS also noted it had received over the months of December last year and January this year, a total of 75,000 applications for the sickness allowance as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak that infected the majority of the population at the end of last year and the start of 2023.

This subsidy was created many years ago for cases in which, due to a long period of illness, a resident cannot return to his or her professional duties, consequently losing the income that refers to such a period.

Since, in many cases, the recovery from Covid-19 infections lasted from over a week up to two or three weeks, many of the people who applied for this subsidy were doing so due to long-term illness.

For this subsidy, only medical certificates issued by physicians working at public or private hospitals in Macau, healthcare centers, and registered private physicians are accepted.

This subsidy granted an amount of 114 patacas per day for people in home recovery and 150 patacas per day for those receiving treatment in a hospital setting.

Every Macau resident can apply for this subsidy from the second day of illness until 30 days after the recovery period. The number of days of subsidy will be granted according to the time given by the physician for recovery from the illness and return to normal life.