The Covid-19 crisis has taught us that we need to prepare for a rainy day. Some of us, especially gig workers, made less income because of the Movement Control Order (MCO) and could have found it difficult if something like a medical emergency happened. If you work for yourself, you might not have a backup plan like people who work for companies and get company medical insurance.

But, did you know that if you’re a gig worker, you can sign up for Social Security Organisation (SOCSO/Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial – Perkeso)’s Self-Employment Social Security Scheme (SESSS) and get benefits if you fall sick, hurt or become disabled while working?

What is it?

If you work for an employer, by law you and your employer must contribute to Perkeso’s funds so you can get illness, injury or disablement benefits if something bad happens to you while working.

Before June 2017, self-employed workers did not have this same protection. Now, with SESSS, workers from these sectors can be covered:

Taxi, e-hailing and bus drivers
Transport of goods and food
Online business
Agriculture
IT
Livestock
Data processing
Forestry
Agents
Fisheries
Professional services
Food
Support services
Manufacturing
The arts
Construction
Household services
Hawkers
Beauty & healthcare
Accommodation premises

How do you get covered?

To get SESSS coverage, you’ll need to pay contributions, which are like insurance premiums, to Perkeso. The amount of contributions is based on monthly income, which Perkeso has split into different levels as follows:

Monthly Income (RM)	Monthly Contribution Payment (RM)	Yearly Contribution Payment (RM)
1,050	13.10	157.20
1,550	19.40	232.80
2,950	36.90	442.80
3,950	49.40	592.80

You can choose your contribution plan by looking at where your monthly income falls under Perkeso’s set income levels. You can also choose to pay your contributions monthly or in one lump sum every year.

What benefits can you get?

The following are benefits you can get from the scheme:

Medical benefit	Free medical treatment at Perkeso panel clinics or government clinics/hospitals; Or Claims for medical costs.
Temporary disablement benefit	RM30-RM105.33 payout per day depending on your contribution plan to SESSS, for certified medical leave of at least four days, including the day of your accident. You must show your medical certificate as proof.
Permanent disablement benefit	Payout is based on 90% of the monthly income you chose for your plan, and your age. Depending on the amount you can get, Perkeso will decide if you will be given a lump-sum payment or if your payout will be broken up into one lump-sum payment followed by monthly payments. The payments will go on until you have received the entire payout that you can get.
Constant attendance allowance – If you become totally and permanently disabled due to injury while working and need a certified medical worker to take care of you all the time	RM500 per month for as long as you need to be taken care of.
Dependant’s benefit – If you pass away due to injury while working	Monthly payout of 90% of your monthly income to your spouse and child under 21 years; Or if you have no spouse or child: Your parents or brother/sister below 21 years or grandparents. Your spouse, parents and grandparents will get the monthly payment for the rest of their lives. Your children can get the benefit until they reach 21 years or gets married (whichever comes first). If your child is studying in college or university, they will get the benefit until they get their first degree or get married (whichever comes first).
Funeral benefit	RM2,000 or actual amount spent for your funeral if you pass away while working, whichever is lower.
Facilities for physical or vocational rehabilitation	Free physical rehabilitation including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, reconstructive surgery, supply of prosthetics, orthotics and other appliances, supply of orthopaedic items such as wheelchair, crutches, hearing aids, spectacles, special shoes and others. Free vocational rehabilitation such as courses in sewing, radio repair and others.
Education benefit	Education loans for your children if you become permanent disabled or pass away due to injury while working

How do you sign up?

All Malaysians or permanent residents who work for themselves can sign up, at no age limit.

Register an account at https://matrix.perkeso.gov.my/ or any Perkeso office near you.
Register for coverage based on the sector you work in.
- You will need your IC and any relevant documents based on the type of sector.
- If you work in more than one sector, you can register for contributions and coverage for each sector you work in.
  - For example, if you are an e-hailing driver and also have your own business selling furniture online, which fall under two different sectors, you can register under both sectors. But, if you get injured while e-hailing, you can only claim from your e-hailing coverage.
  - Even so, if on the next day you get hurt while carrying furniture for your online business, you can still make a claim from your online business coverage.
- SESSS also covers freelancers, so even if you do not have your own company and work as an individual, you can still register with your IC and any document that proves you are carrying out work or a service. For example, this document can be a contract from your client or an order form from your customer.
Choose your monthly or yearly contribution based on the levels of monthly income set by Perkeso.
Pay your monthly or yearly contributions in cash at Perkeso offices or online.

How do you make a claim?

You can make a claim by sending the relevant forms and documents such as your IC, original medical certificate and police report to the Perkeso office nearest to you.

For more information on SESSS, visit this link.

While most Malaysians will rely on their employers to provide healthcare coverage for them, self-employed workers have only themselves to depend on. If you work for yourself and are looking for an affordable medical and financial protection plan, SESSS is a good place to start.

Don’t forget, you can also browse the rest of our site for topics on Planning and Budgeting, Saving and Investing, Insurance and Retirement to help understand and manage your finances!