ECC runs out of funds, stops releasing workers’ benefits

January 8 ------ The Federation of Free Workers (FFW) on Thursday, Jan. 7, said a number of workers are still waiting to receive their compensation benefits as the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) has stopped releasing benefits due to lack of available funds. FFW Vice President Julius Cainglet said while claims and applications are still being accepted by the ECC, no benefits have been released.

“Officially, they are still accepting claims but there have been no releases [of benefits],” he said in a virtual press briefing. “At the height of the [COVID-19] pandemic, many have been turned down due to lack of funds,” added Cainglet. “So if you will only apply now you will have to wait long,” he said. Cainglet said it was sometime in September when many have been turned down as the funds have run out. Meanwhile, ECC Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis explained why they stopped releasing benefits last year.

“We suspended the application for EC cash assistance applied at our office [ECC Makati and regional offices] because of lack of funds but continued to process all applications received and still releasing checks until now,” she said. “Just like some other agencies, our 2020 operating budget did not anticipate the pandemic. Our budget for the cash assistance was for the usual number of applications and did not include work related COVID-19,” added Banawis. ECC is an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment, which provides a package of benefits for public and private sector employees and their dependents for work-related sickness, injury, disability, or death.

Source: mb.com.ph