Delivery riders, ride-hailing, or transport network vehicle service (TNVS) drivers may get financial support through the Employees’ Compensation (EC) program by the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC).

In a news release on Monday, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Francis Tolentino said the policy covers job-related sickness, accidental injury and disability incurred in the line of duty.

Since September 2020, DOLE said the coverage under the EC Program has been extended to all self-employed Social Security System (SSS) members, which ensures that independent workers and freelancers enjoy the same vital work-related safety nets and benefits as company-employed workers.

The EC is a government program designed to provide a package of benefits and services to public and private workers and/or their dependents in the event of work-connected sickness or injury resulting in disability or death.

To qualify for The EC program, a worker must have paid at least one month of SSS contributions before the occurrence of any work-related illness, accidental injury, or disability.

An EC claim can be filed with the SSS by either the self-employed individual or a family member, and it must be submitted within three years.

Financial compensation will be withheld from a self-employed worker and their dependents should any injury, sickness, disability or death arise from intoxication, intention to injure or kill oneself or another, and notorious negligence.

The ECC encourages all self-employed platform workers to review their eligibility and claim the financial and medical benefits of the EC Program.

The list of documentary requirements is posted on the SSS (www.sss.gov.ph) and ECC (www.ecc.gov.ph) websites. (PNA)