Social Security celebrated its 40th anniversary last night with a media mixer, during which they announced new facilities. For one, the move to online services, which started in 2016, continues with a brand new personal portal with which you can access your account. The General Manager of SSB, Chandra Nisbet Cansino, explained in detail the services you can access right from your device.
Chandra Nisbet Cansino, General Manager, SSB
"We are now inviting persons to register with my social security portal, that would be your little page for social security that would eventually be populated as the online services start coming into completion and at this point the registration service is the only one that available,, that's phase one of the project so what you'll need to do is visit the website, click on my social security, create an account, he information is pretty straightforward, it is nothing difficult to do, it is as easy as creating a Facebook account I would say. We all have one, or most of us, and then social security will then need verification procedures. At this point you get an email with a barcode and then you're then able to access the registration service. And then book an appointment because if you want to apply for a new card then you need to book an appointment online so you don't have to come into the office, you pick the date and time and ensure that you are at the office for your appointment. What the self service portal is currently doing, you are able to update your account, if you change your cellphone number, you are able to change that, you are able to update your banking information, perhaps you want your payments deposited for example the banks just changed ownership so maybe you're switching or changing, all you need to do is go into your portal and update your account and then you'll be able to view your registration application status so you will be able to know what part of the process your registration application is. And then you'll also be able to request a replacement card."
Cansino also explained that many Belizeans don't have a bank account, which is necessary to access the online services. So SSB has been working with banks across the country to assist those who can't afford the startup fee.
Chandra Nisbet Cansino, General Manager, SSB
"We did a lot of customer sensitization. What we did get was cooperation rom the banking institutions because a lot of persons, believe it or not, don't have bank accounts so in order to access the service you need to open the bank account and many persons don't even have the amount that you would need to put the minimum amount you know some banks need like 100 to open an account but we got the cooperation from the banks to waiver those minimum requirements so the persons were able to open the bank accounts with nothing and start from there. That was the main challenge, there is still people up to know who do not have bank accounts and we would have provide support in that area. But the access to the service, it hasn't been a challenge for the rural communities because again the challenge for them might be the fact that they may not have a bank account to start it and so we have the support of the institution country wide to be able to waive that requirement."
SSB also has various other activities for the month of June including celebrating new mothers and their babies born this month, empowering 40 Belizeans who became unemployed due to COVID with vocational training, the inauguration of the David L McKoy Business Center - which is an SSB investment project - and launch of a fingerprint recognition service.
