How to Claim Employment Insurance System (EIS)

Employment Insurance System or better known as EIS, is a financial scheme aimed at helping employees who have lost their job it is managed by Social Security Organisation SOCSO.

If you are a Malaysian citizen or permanent resident between 18 to 60 years old and an employee in the private sector, you will qualify for EIS (Employment Insurance System).

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 for contribution. This means whoever is eligible to contribute to SOCSO is also eligible to contribute to EIS.

 

How can EIS help you if you just got laid off? 

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:

 

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:

 

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, vocational training etc.

 

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

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

For example, while receiving monthly payments from the Job Search Allowance (JSA), you can also apply for a 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).

 

How do you 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 you get ready before applying for EIS benefits? 

Before meeting with the SOCSO officer, prepare and bring 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 lose 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

 

How do you check your status online after applying?

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. 

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.

 

Here is a quick and simple breakdown of what you should do right after losing your job

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, and Bank Account Details).
3. Wait for the result of your application, which will either be sent via email or post or 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 receive a first-month allowance of 80% of your Monthly Assumed Wage (from JSA), credited into your bank account. This should be within seven working days after your application is approved.

 

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