From August onwards, the Social Security Fund (FSS) will start to accept, in stages by age group, the application for withdrawal of the eligible Provident Fund individual account owners.  For individuals aged 75 and over, those who have been receiving disability pension from the FSS for more than one year and those who are receiving Special Disability Subsidy from the Social Welfare Bureau (SWB), they can apply for withdrawal from their Provident Fund individual accounts starting from tomorrow (1 August).  Elderly aged between 65 and 74 can apply for withdrawal from September onwards. 

This year, there are more than 40,000 Provident Fund individual account owners eligible for withdrawal.  The FSS will continue to adopt the method used last year and accepts, in two stages by age group, the application for withdrawal of the public.  During the first phase, the FSS accepts the application for withdrawal of individuals included in the list who are aged 75 and over (born in August 1939 or before), those who have been receiving the disability pension from the FSS for more than one year and those who are receiving Special Disability Subsidy from the SWB.  The FSS has recently mailed out application forms to the above individuals, and the money will be paid in October after the applications are approved.  At the end of August, the FSS will mail out application forms to individuals included in the list who are aged between 65 and 74 (born in September 1939 to September 1949).  They can submit the application forms to the FSS from September onwards and the individuals concerned will receive the money in November at the earliest. 

Application for withdrawal can only be filed once in a year.  Eligible Provident Fund individual account owner can fill out the application form and return it to the FSS Headquarters, Areia Preta Service Centre of MSAR (Area of Social Security and Employment), two Public Service Centres of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) or five Social Service Centres of SWB (Table I), or apply for withdrawal through the self-service kiosks set at 30 locations, including Headquarters and external service locations of the FSS and the SWB, designated external service locations of the IACM, the Financial Services Bureau Building and its Taipa Service Centre, the Pension Fund, the lobby of Hospital Conde S. Januário, seven district health centres, ports of entry of the Border Gate (Portas do Cerco) and the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal and the ground floor of China Plaza. (Table II) 

In addition, for Provident Fund individual account owner under age 65 but needs to meet huge medical expenditure due to serious injury or illness of his/her own, his/her spouse, any degree of lineal consanguinity or affinity, and those who have humanitarian or other duly substantiated reasons, they can also apply for withdrawal from their Provident Fund individual accounts.    The application forms can be downloaded from the FSS website or they are available at all service points. 

Members of the public who wish to check if they are on the list of Special Allocation from Budget Surplus 2014 for the Provident Fund individual accounts, they can visit the FSS website at www.fss.gov.mo/en/eservice/r1-2014, or call 28532850 during office hours for more information.   

Attachment: Location of the self-service kiosks and service points