MACAU, December 31 - The Social Security Fund (abbreviated to FSS in Macao) said that residents may continue to use the facial recognition technology of "My Government Account of Macao SAR" mobile application to provide the proof of life in 2022, without the need to visit the FSS or the related service points.  This applies even if residents are outside Macao.  According to the law, beneficiaries of FSS’s old-age and disability pension must provide the proof of life every year, and about 140,000 people are involved for the year 2022.

Besides using the facial recognition technology on "My Government Account of Macao SAR" mobile application to provide the proof of life, residents may also provide by using their valid Macao SAR Resident ID Card on the self-service machine or provide the proof in person at a service point.  "My Government Account of Macao SAR" mobile application and self-service machines will start to accept the proof of life from 9 a.m. on 1 January 2022, and allow beneficiaries to complete the relevant procedures of the Social Security Fund, Social Welfare Bureau and Pension Fund at one time.

Beneficiaries only need to log in to their "My Government Account of Macao SAR” accounts, face the mobile phone screen and follow the instructions to do three simple actions.  After successfully passing the facial recognition, the proof of life procedures are then completed.  If the beneficiary’s spouse or immediate family members (parents, children) have already opened "My Government Account of Macao SAR", they may also log in their accounts to assist the beneficiary to provide the proof of life.  This year, "My Government Account of Macao SAR” mobile application has added the SMS notification and enquiry functions.  Residents can take screenshots to save the result after providing the proof of life, or receive an SMS that the proof of life has been provided.  After that, residents may also check the status of the provision of the proof of life at any time with the mobile application.

In line with the epidemic prevention work and reduce crowd gathering, the FSS urges beneficiaries to provide the proof of life by using electronic means as much as possible, and there is no need to rush to provide the proof in early January.  Beneficiaries only need to complete the procedures by the end of March 2022, and it will not affect the benefit payment for and after the first quarter of 2022.  For beneficiaries who need to visit a service point to provide the proof of life in person, they may go to the following locations during office hours:

• Albergue da Santa Casa da Misericórdia (from 4 January to 14 January 2022);
• FSS’s St. Lazarus Parish Field Office  (on or after 17 January 2022);
• Macao Government Services Centre;
• Macao Government Services Centre in Islands;
• Municipal Affairs Bureau’s Public Services Centres.

Beneficiaries who can neither visit a service point in person nor use electronic means to provide the proof of life can still provide it through the following methods:

• Ask someone to submit the proof of life documents of 2022 on behalf of them, or  submit the documents by mail; or
• Under the "Mechanism for Verifying the Proof of Life for People from Guangdong and Macao", beneficiaries residing in Guangdong Province may provide the proof of life at a local social security agency in Guangdong Province.

For more information about providing the proof of life for the year 2022 (including the locations for providing the proof of life in person, the set-up locations of self-service machines, the addresses of the handling agencies in Guangdong Province, and the supporting documents to be submitted), please refer to the “Proof of Life” page on the FSS’s website (www.fss.gov.mo), or call 2853 2850 during office hours for enquiries.