Registration Management
There are different types of Registration in Interact SSAS to support the different concepts which apply in this context.
- e-Services Access Requests: these are used to obtain access to the Interact SSAS portal so the Individual or Employer can start communicating and transacting with the Social Security Administration.
- General Registrations: these are used to link existing individuals, who are already registered, to particular employers or to obtain specific Identification Numbers.
Below we will first cover those Registrations which lead first of all to access to the Social Security Administrations web-portal, i.e. the e-Services Access Requests afterwards we’ll look at the additional Registrations which take place when the individuals and organizations are already registered in the system.
In order for anyone to access the Social Security Administration’s portal, they will first need to be registered in the system and have user credentials.
To register, they can go to the main portal page and select the type of access they are requesting and then complete the corresponding form, attach any mandatory documents and submit their registration.
The different types of access or user profiles in Interact SSAS are mainly:
- Employee
- Self-Employed
- Voluntary Contributor
- Survivor
- Employer (including Healthcare Providers)
- Financial Institution
Each one of the above will have their own required data to be provided in order for the applicant to be registered and given access to the Social Security Portal.
The Registration Forms are user-defined and typically customized for the particular local context in which they are used.
The data collected in these Registration forms will automatically be reflected in the system in the Individual or Employer’s Profile and throughout the various modules of Interact SSAS wherever necessary. One of the key principles of Interact SSAS is that no data ever needs to be entered more than once, so all data collected at this early stage will be available in the system anytime and anywhere.
Once the Registrations or e-Services Access Request Forms are received, the appropriate user in the Social Security Administration will be able to process the Access Request Form and issue User Credentials so each Individual or Employer will be able to access their own e-Services Portal.
The Workflow and Documents required for each form are defined in the General Setup under the Application Form tab.
- Employee e-Services Access Request Form
Figure 1: Individual Access Request Form
The above form is as it appears to an end-user individual who wants to request access as a regular employee. Basic demographic data is collected and a few mandatory supporting documents are to be attached by the user. Note that the form can have underlying logic such as making a marriage certificate mandatory in case the registrant indicates their civil status as married or making a maiden name mandatory in case a female registrant indicates being married.
Figure 2: Employee e-Services Access Request Form Approval
The above screen shows a user from the Social Security Administration reviewing and approving an e-Services Access Request Form/Registration and issuing user credentials. Note the box which lists Similar User Accounts and indicates that another Individual with the same name and birth-date is already registered. This gives the user the opportunity to investigate further first before approving the registration or to proceed in case it has been determined that it is a pure coincidence.
All data submitted by the registrant can be reviewed by the Social Security Administration user and any documents that were attached can be reviewed in detail.
- Self-Employed e-Services Access Request
Figure 3: Individual Access Request Form for Self-Employed
The Self-Employed will be able to fill a similar form as that one for regular Employees with the main difference being that Self-Employed individuals typically need to report their Declared Earnings for one of the most recent previous Fiscal Years as this information is used to determine their future contributions.
Figure 4: Self Employed e-Services Access Request Processing Form
Once the Access Request Registration form has been received online by the correct user in the Social Security Administration, then it can be processed quickly. In the case of a Self-Employed individual, the economic activity which was provided by the individual during registration can be further classified based on International Standard Industry Codes so that the administration can produce better reports and analyze its data more effectively.
- Voluntary Contributor e-Services Access Request / Registration
Figure 5: Voluntary Contributor e-Services Access Request Form
Voluntary Contributor Registration Forms differ mostly from regular Employee Registration forms in that they capture past Employer data and earnings information and also capture the Declared Earnings for the most recent fiscal year for this Contributor. This information will then be used to determine the appropriate contribution the Voluntary Contributor will need to make from that moment onwards.
- Survivor e-Services Access Request Form
Figure 5: Survivor e-Services Request Form Approval
Survivors, who don’t have a Social Security Number yet, can initiate the process to obtain their Survivor Benefits by registering on the portal and requesting e-Services Access. In order to do so, they will have to not only provide their own demographics but also information on the deceased person as shown above.
- Employer Registration
Figure 6: Employer e-Services Access Request Form
Employers can register for the first time online by providing basic demographic details, as well as banking information, an employee count, business license details and a description of their economic activity. These documents will be reviewed afterwards by the Social Security Administration prior to approving the request and then issuing user credentials.
Figure 7: Employer e-Services Access Request Approval Form
When the user in the Social Security Administration reviews and processes the e-Services Access Request Form from the employer, they will be able to verify the documents which were included in the application and specify the exact economic activity by using the multi-level International Standard Industry Codes so that future reporting can be analyzed by Economic Activity using the ISIC Section, Division, Group and Class.
- Financial Institution e-Services Access Requests
Figure 8: Financial Institution e-Services Access Request Form
Because Financial Institutions play a unique role in the context of social security, they have a separate access and profile in the Interact SSAS system. While on the one hand they are Employers just like all other Employers, they also hold accounts for individuals, employers and possibly even for the Social Security Administration. As a Financial Institution they are therefore able to receive payment files from the Social Security Administration which will allow them to process the Benefit Claims Payments which are meant for the wider population.
For this reason, their Role in the system is unique and as a result their Registration is also separate from the rest.
- Application for Registration as an Employee
It is important for many reasons that the Social Security Administration has the correct information as to which Employees are employed by which Employer. This information can be gathered in various ways: either by the Employee reporting it or by the Employer reporting it.
If an Employee wants to report a new engagement or job with a new Employer, they can do so by filling in an “Application for Registration as Employee”. This Application will then be routed first to the Employer for confirmation, using the Employer’s e-Services, to confirm that the individual is truly a new Employee and to verify the Employee’s job title, start date, starting pay and pay frequency.
The Employer can quickly verify and confirm the information and then proceed by “Posting” the Application to the Social Security Administration, without having to do any data-entry themselves.
If this is the first time an Individual reports being employed, and if the country’s social security laws dictate that Social Security Numbers are only issued upon initial employment, then this Application for Registration as Employee will ultimately be converted by the system into a Social Security Number Application also.
Once this is processed, the system will automatically link the Employee with this Employer and from now on all records will show the Employee-Employer relationship and the Employee’s Employment History will also be updated.
Figure 9: Employee’s e-Services Portal View
In the above e-Services Portal View you can see how an Individual can access a menu to Register as an Employee with a particular Employer. Once the Employee clicks on the menu, they will be taken to the following screen to be filled in.
Figure 10: Registration as Employee with Employer
The individual can fill in the above form online, and submit it. They only need to provide the information that is mandatory, which is highlighted in bold and blue.
Figure 11: [Continued] Registration as Employee with Employer
Additional country-specific questions are asked in the above form so this information can be captured and verified prior to the registration of the employee as in some countries an individual who registers for the first time as an employee will get assigned their first Social Security Number also at this point.
After submitting this form, it will be routed to the Employer who can review and confirm online through their own e-Services that the Employee is indeed working with the Employer, in which case the Registration will be forwarded to the Social Security Administration for online processing.
