National ID Required for Social Pension Starting April 2026, DSWD Says
The Department of Social Welfare and Development announced that National ID will be required upon claiming social pension starting April.
Starting April 1, 2026, senior citizens under the Indigent Senior Citizens program will need to present a National ID before they can receive their monthly social pension to make transactions easier and more organized.
The National ID, also known as the PhilSys ID, will now be the main identification required when claiming payouts. The move supports the government’s plan to use the National ID as the primary ID for different services and transactions across the country.
Under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, qualified elderly Filipinos receive a monthly allowance of P1,000. The support is meant for those aged 60 and above who are sick, weak, or living with disabilities. It is especially intended for seniors who have no stable source of income.
Last year, more than 4.1 million senior citizens benefited from the program. However, not all elderly individuals are qualified to receive pensions.
Only those who do not get any pension from agencies such as the Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System, or the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office are eligible. They must also not have a regular income or hold any government position, and they need to be registered in the community-based monitoring system.
For seniors who do not yet have a National ID, registration is still ongoing in more than 200 sites nationwide. To make things easier, registration booths will also be set up during payout days so beneficiaries can apply on the spot.
Bedridden seniors will not be left behind, as home visits will be conducted to help them register and continue receiving their benefits.
The social media users expressed their reactions to the announcement:
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