"Pensions" Defines voluntary contribution rules to protect your retirement future

Abu Dhabi, July 15 / WAM / The General Pensions and Social Security Authority confirmed that the voluntary subscription allows the insured to continue to participate in the pension and social insurance system during the period of leave without pay, ensuring that the period of their insurance subscription is not interrupted and that this period is counted within the approved years of service for the purposes of retirement pension and other insurance benefits.

The Authority explained that the voluntary subscription is based on the provisions of Article (38), Clause (7) of Federal Decree Law No. (57) of 2023 regarding pensions and social insurance, which allowed the insured to continue to contribute during the period of leave without pay in exchange for paying the contributions scheduled for him and his employer, so that this period is counted within the period of his insurance subscription. The Authority’s Board of Directors issued a decision specifying the rules and procedures regulating benefit from this benefit, ensuring the clarity of its terms and conditions and achieving maximum benefit for the categories. Due.

His Excellency Firas Abdul Karim Al Ramahi, Director General of the Authority, confirmed that the voluntary subscription reflects the state’s orientations towards building a flexible and sustainable social protection system that takes into account the needs of citizens at various stages of their lives, and is consistent with national goals related to empowering women, supporting the family, investing in education, and developing human capital.

He said that the system represents a practical model for supporting citizen women, as it gives mothers who take unpaid leave to care for their children the opportunity to maintain their insurance rights and continue their retirement without having to choose between their family responsibilities and their future career.

He added that voluntary subscription also supports the state’s efforts to encourage continuing education and develop national competencies, by enabling male and female citizens who take unpaid leave to complete postgraduate studies to continue participating in the pension system during the period of study, ensuring that their insurance future is not affected while they seek to develop their academic and professional qualifications.

He pointed out that these benefits gain special importance during the “Year of the Family,” which focuses on enhancing family cohesion and social stability, raising the quality of life, and enabling individuals to achieve a balance between the requirements of family, education, and work.

The voluntary subscription system benefits insured persons subject to the provisions of Federal Decree Law No. (57) of 2023. The beneficiary categories include males and females who take unpaid leave to complete postgraduate studies, and insured women who take unpaid leave for the purpose of caring for children.

The authority explained that benefiting from the system requires obtaining the approval of the employer for unpaid leave, and submitting a subscription application within the specified period. In the event of completing postgraduate studies, proof of registration in a recognized educational institution inside or outside the country is required, and the duration of the leave should not be less than one year and not more than three years. In the case of full-time care for children, it is necessary to submit supporting documents for the request, and the duration of the leave should not exceed three continuous or intermittent years, and that the age of any of the children must be less than 18 years.

As an embodiment of the UAE’s approach to supporting and empowering people of determination and providing sustainable care for them and their families, legislation exempted children of people of determination from the age requirement, ensuring that their families continue to receive the necessary support to continue caring for them and assuming their responsibilities towards them.

The Authority confirmed that the voluntary subscription provides important protection for the insurance path of the insured, as it prevents the occurrence of gaps in the subscription period during the period of leave without pay, and maintains the continuity of the insurance service on which retirement rights are based in the future, noting that the voluntary subscription period is treated as part of the approved subscription period for the insured, and is therefore counted within the years of service on which entitlement to the retirement pension and other insurance benefits is based.

She pointed out that if the insured continues to pay contributions during the leave period, this period will be added to the total years of his insurance service when settling his entitlements. However, in the event of non-subscription or non-payment of due contributions, the leave period is not counted within the period of insurance service.

The Authority explained that the voluntary subscription brings a number of direct benefits to the insured, the most prominent of which is maintaining the continuity of the insurance subscription period, increasing the total period of service calculated upon retirement, enhancing the chances of completing the period required for pension entitlement, improving the value of the retirement pension in cases where the benefits are linked to the subscription period, and preserving the insurance rights and benefits provided by the law.

She added that the insured is responsible for paying the prescribed contributions during the optional subscription period at a rate of 26% of the salary of the approved subscription account at the time of submitting the application, without taking into account any amendments to the salary that occur after the subscription application is approved.

Application for the service comes electronically through the “Maashi” platform, where the employer submits the application after the leave is approved, then the application is referred to the insured for review and approval, while payment is made through the direct debit system from the bank account specified by the insured. The insured will be able to follow the status of the application through electronic notifications within the automation procedures on the Maashi platform, which include notifications of approval of the application, success of payment operations, notification of late dues, and notifications of inability to pay or expiration of the subscription period. Optional.

The Authority confirmed that voluntary subscription represents one of the advanced models of social protection that balances the requirements of family, education, and career path, and gives citizens greater flexibility in managing their personal and family priorities without affecting their insurance rights or their retirement future, in a way that enhances social stability and insurance sustainability for current and future generations.

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