Do women who voluntarily pay social insurance in Vietnam receive maternity benefits?
Do women who voluntarily pay social insurance in Vietnam receive maternity benefits?
Article 4 of the 2014 Law on Social Insurance stipulates the social insurance benefits as follows:
Social Insurance Benefits
- Mandatory social insurance includes the following benefits:
a) Sickness;
b) Maternity;
c) Occupational accidents and diseases;
d) Retirement;
dd) Survivorship.
2. Voluntary social insurance includes the following benefits:
a) Retirement;
b) Survivorship.
- Supplementary retirement insurance as prescribed by the Government of Vietnam.
Thus, those who participate in voluntary social insurance are only entitled to two benefits: retirement and survivorship.
Therefore, if women participate in voluntary social insurance, they are not entitled to maternity benefits.
What is the payment method for voluntary social insurance made by employees in Vietnam?
Article 87 of the 2014 Law on Social Insurance stipulates the payment rate and method for employees participating in voluntary social insurance as follows:
Payment Rate and Method for Employees Participating in Voluntary Social Insurance
- Employees as stipulated in Clause 4, Article 2 of this Law shall pay 22% of their chosen monthly income into the retirement and survivorship fund monthly. The lowest monthly income serving as the basis for social insurance contribution is equal to the poverty benchmark for rural areas, and the highest is 20 times the statutory pay rate.
Based on the socio-economic development conditions, and the state budget capacity at each period, to stipulate the support rate, target beneficiaries, and the time to implement the support policies for social insurance participants.
2. Employees can choose one of the following payment methods:
a) Monthly;
b) Once every 03 months;
c) Once every 06 months;
d) Once every 12 months;
dd) Once for many subsequent years with a lower rate than the monthly payment or once for the remaining years with a higher rate than the monthly payment as stipulated in this Article.
- The Government of Vietnam shall detail this Article.
Thus, the payment methods for employees participating in voluntary social insurance are:
- Monthly;
- Once every 03 months;
- Once every 06 months;
- Once every 12 months;
- Once for many subsequent years with a lower rate than the monthly payment or once for the remaining years with a higher rate than the monthly payment.
From what age can one participate in voluntary social insurance in Vietnam?
Article 2 of the 2014 Law on Social Insurance specifies the subjects of application as follows:
Subjects of Application
- Employees who are Vietnamese citizens and fall into the category of mandatory social insurance participants, including:
a) Those working under indefinite-term labor contracts, fixed-term labor contracts, seasonal labor contracts, or specific job contracts with a term ranging from 03 months to under 12 months, including labor contracts signed between the employer and the legal representative of persons under 15 years old per labor laws;
b) Those working under labor contracts with a term ranging from 01 month to under 03 months;
c) Officials and public employees;
d) Defense employees, police employees, and others working in cipher organizations;
dd) Commissioned officers, professional army personnel of the People's Army; commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers engaged in specialized technical services of the People's Public Security; those working in cipher organizations paid as military personnel;
e) Non-commissioned officers, soldiers of the People's Army; non-commissioned officers, conscripts serving a fixed term in the People's Public Security; military school cadets, public security cadets, cipher trainees who receive living expenses;
g) Those working overseas under contracts as stipulated in the Law on Vietnamese Guest employees;
h) Enterprise managers, cooperative managers who receive salaries;
i) Non-professional activists at commune, ward, and commune-level town.
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4. Participants of voluntary social insurance are Vietnamese citizens aged 15 years or older who are not within the scope defined in Clause 1 of this Article.
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Thus, Vietnamese citizens aged 15 years or older who do not fall into the category of mandatory social insurance participants can participate in voluntary social insurance.
