For many workers, the monthly discount IGSS fee in your salary is synonymous with the fact that the employer fulfilled the obligation to transfer that money to the Guatemalan Institute of Social Security (IGSS). However, this discount does not guarantee that the fees have been reported and paid to the Institute.
The process requires that the employer present the corresponding return and transfer the contributions to the IGSS. When this does not happen, the consequences can appear years later, especially at the time of request a old age pensiondisability or survival.
Problems are usually discovered when applying for a pension
A Guatemalan woman told this medium that, in the early 2000s, she tried to process a survivor pension. When he went to the IGSS he discovered that the dues corresponding to one of his employers had not been paid.
Although he sought to get the employer to regularize the situation, the process was complex and without guarantees of success, so he decided to consider that benefit lost.
Work history is key to obtaining a pension
In an interview with this medium, Claudia Senteshead of the Department of Disability, Old Age and Survival (IVS)explained that one of the first steps to request a pension for old age, disability or survival It is an interview with a social worker.
During that meeting the work history of the affiliateidentifying all the employers you worked for throughout your life.
However, this task may be more complicated for those who began their working lives before the 1980s, since at that time the spreadsheets IGSS They were physical and there were no electronic records.
One of the main challenges facing the IVS Department, commented Sentes, is that part of the historical documentation was digitized with errors, is incomplete or presents reading problems.
In these cases, the IGSS must request the original returns from the companies again.
The situation is complicated when it comes to employers who stopped operating decades ago, no longer keep files or had several employer numbers during their operation.
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IGSS fees do not appear? Demonstrating the employment relationship is the first step
According to Sentes, one of the most frequent problems occurs when the member’s history shows periods without registration of contributions, even though the worker claims to have worked for a certain company.
The causes can be diverse:
- The employer never submitted the returns.
- He deducted the contributions from the worker, but did not transfer them to the IGSS.
- The company changed its company name or employer number.
- There are inconsistencies or missing historical documents.
Sentes explained that, when the worker manages to demonstrate that there was a employment relationship, he IGSS can transfer the case to the Collection Directoratewhich initiates the corresponding proceedings against the employer.
Even if the company has already closed operations, action can still be taken when there is a registered legal representative for the period in which the breach occurred.
The first step is to demonstrate the employment relationship
When there is any inconsistency, the member must provide all possible information about the jobs they had, even if they do not remember the employer number.
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Among the data that helps the process are:
- Company name.
- Trade name.
- Address where it operated.
- Name of the owner or legal representative.
- Approximate dates you worked.
With this information, the staff of the IGSS seeks to locate the payrolls and reconstruct the employment record.
What documents can serve as evidence?
Although there is no mandatory list, any document that demonstrates the employment relationship can facilitate the Institute’s investigation, including:
- Employment contracts.
- Employment records.
- Letters of recommendation.
- Settlements.
- Documents where the name of the company and the period worked appear.
The more information the worker keeps, the greater the chances of locating the corresponding forms.
How to avoid problems when applying for a pension?
The main recommendation from the head of the IVS is not to wait until retirement age to review the contribution history.
Sentes advised that workers periodically consult their records through the Affiliate Portal of the IGSS and request your contribution history in the Affiliate Service Center (CATARI).
In this way, any inconsistency can be detected early enough and corrected before starting the process to obtain a pension.
Electronic forms facilitate verification
Sentes explained that, since 2015the presentation of electronic forms It is mandatory for employers, which facilitates access to information for both the Institute and employers and workers. Currently, affiliates can create their Affiliate User to consult your history and verify that the employer is reporting and paying the fees monthly.
Free press It has a special section dedicated to answering questions about the IGSS proceduresin particular about disability, old age and survival. We invite you to read it to learn more about your rights and the steps to follow in each procedure.