What is PERKESO (SOCSO), and who does it cover?
PERKESO and SOCSO are the same organisation. PERKESO (Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial) is the Malay name and SOCSO (Social Security Organisation) is the English one. It runs Malaysia's social security schemes, now grouped under the name LINDUNG. If you are a salaried employee, your employer registers you and pays every month, and you see a small SOCSO deduction on your payslip.
Most people only know "SOCSO" as one deduction, but there are actually several schemes:
| Scheme | Who it is for | What it protects |
|---|---|---|
| Employment Injury Scheme (LINDUNG PEKERJA) | Employees | Accidents at work, on the commute, and occupational diseases |
| Invalidity Scheme (LINDUNG PEKERJA) | Employees under 60 | Invalidity or death from any cause, 24 hours, not related to work |
| Employment Insurance System (LINDUNG KERJAYA) | Employees aged 18 to 60 | Income support and job search help after losing your job |
| LINDUNG 24 Jam | Employees (voluntary for locals, mandatory for foreign workers) | Accidents outside working hours, not related to the job |
| LINDUNG KENDIRI (Act 789) | Self-employed in 20 listed sectors | Injuries while doing your self-employed work |
| LINDUNG KASIH (Act 838) | Housewives | Injury, disability and death benefits |
The self-employed scheme started on 1 June 2017 for the passenger transport sector (taxi, e-hailing and bus drivers) and was extended to 20 sectors from 1 January 2020, according to PERKESO. The housewives' scheme has run since 1 December 2022.
How much is the SOCSO contribution in 2026?
For employees, the rates on PERKESO's contributions page are:
| Category | Employer pays | Employee pays |
|---|---|---|
| Act 4, Category 1 (under 60): injury + invalidity | 1.75% of wages | 0.5% of wages |
| Act 4, Category 2 (60 and above, or first joined at 55 and above): injury only | 1.25% of wages | Nil |
| EIS (Act 800), age 18 to 60 | 0.2% of wages | 0.2% of wages |
The wage ceiling is RM6,000 a month, raised from RM5,000 on 1 October 2024 (PERKESO contribution rate). If you earn more than RM6,000, your contribution and the benefits calculated from it stop at the RM6,000 level. Employees aged 57 and above who never contributed to EIS before 57 are exempt from EIS. The exact ringgit amount for each wage band is in PERKESO's contribution schedule; your payroll or HR uses the same table.
If you join LINDUNG 24 Jam, that contribution is borne fully by the employee: 0.75% of wages for the first two years, 1.0% for the next three years and 1.25% from the sixth year. Your employer deducts and pays it on your behalf.
Self-employed (LINDUNG KENDIRI) choose one of four plans:
| Insured monthly earning | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| RM1,050 | RM13.10 | RM157.20 |
| RM1,550 | RM19.40 | RM232.80 |
| RM2,950 | RM36.90 | RM442.80 |
| RM3,950 | RM49.40 | RM592.80 |
Housewives (LINDUNG KASIH) pay RM120 in advance for 12 months of cover. The husband, the wife herself, family members or a third party can pay it.
What can I claim from SOCSO, and how much?
These are the main benefits listed on PERKESO's Employment Injury Scheme and Invalidity Scheme pages:
| Benefit | When it is paid | Rate stated by PERKESO |
|---|---|---|
| Medical benefit | Work or commuting injury, occupational disease | Free treatment at PERKESO panel clinics or government clinics and hospitals until recovery |
| Temporary disablement | Medical leave of at least 4 days including the day of the accident | 80% of average assumed daily wage, RM30 to RM158.67 a day |
| Permanent disablement | Permanent disability from an employment injury | 90% of average assumed daily wage, RM30 to RM178.50 a day |
| Dependants' benefit | Death from an employment injury | 90% of average assumed daily wage, shared among dependants |
| Invalidity pension | Certified invalid from any cause, not work related | 50% to 65% of average assumed monthly wage, minimum RM550 a month |
| Survivors' pension | Death from any cause not related to work, before 60 | 50% to 65% of average assumed monthly wage, minimum RM475 a month |
| Constant attendance allowance | So disabled you need someone with you constantly | RM500 a month |
| Funeral benefit | Death (from 1 June 2024) | Actual cost or RM3,000, whichever is lower |
Pensions under the Invalidity Scheme need a contribution record: generally at least 24 monthly contributions within 40 months before the claim, or a longer record over your working life. If you do not qualify for the pension, you may still get an invalidity grant, a one-off refund of the invalidity contributions with interest. There are also rehabilitation services, dialysis support and education loans for children of insured persons who died or became disabled.
How do I make a SOCSO claim, step by step?
PERKESO's benefit application page sets out the process. In practice it looks like this:
- Tell your employer straight away after a work or commuting accident, and get treatment. Keep every medical certificate and receipt.
- Submit the notice. The accident notice, occupational disease notice or death notice can be submitted on the LINDUNG FAEDAH portal, or on the downloaded forms.
- Fill in Form 34 (Borang 34) with the supporting documents. Temporary disablement claims also need the HUS checklist, PKSF1 and the insured person's declaration. Invalidity and survivors' pensions use Form 34 with Borang A. The self-employed use the SPS claim form, and housewives use Borang SR 6.
- Hand them in at the nearest PERKESO office. PERKESO says all benefit applications go to the nearest office, and the forms are only in Bahasa Malaysia.
- Attend the Medical Board if PERKESO calls you for a disability assessment.
Deadlines to remember: a permanent disablement claim must be made within 12 months from the last day of temporary disablement. An EIS claim after losing your job must be made within 60 days of the job loss. When in doubt, the PERKESO hotline is 1-300-22-8000.
Common mistakes I see: people assume a road accident on the way to work is just a car insurance matter and never tell HR; they forget to keep the MC; or they stop a few days into medical leave without knowing the 4 day rule. Ask HR to confirm your employer has been paying SOCSO for you, because benefits depend on the contribution record.
Budget 2027: what changes for gig workers and the self-employed?
Budget 2027 was tabled on 9 October 2026. According to The Star and PERKESO's own Belanjawan 2027 page:
- E-hailing and p-hailing workers get a 35% government matching incentive on their PERKESO contributions, rising to 50% when the platform company also shares the contribution.
- Self-employed in 17 non-compulsory sectors get a 70% matching contribution.
- Tax relief: contributions to LINDUNG 24 Jam and LINDUNG KENDIRI qualify for additional relief of up to RM150 (The Edge).
- Health screening vouchers for commercial vehicle drivers.
Separately, PERKESO has improved EIS benefits for job loss from 1 October 2026: the early re-employment allowance goes from 25% to 50% of the unpaid job search allowance, the training fee limit rises from RM4,000 to RM7,000, the training allowance becomes a flat RM30 a day, and there is a new one-off mobility allowance if your new job is more than 100 km from home.
If you drive e-hailing, this is a good time to make sure you are registered and contributing, and to check your e-hailing car insurance as well, because SOCSO covers you, not your car or your passenger. Budget measures take effect only as the government implements them, so check PERKESO for the start date of each one.
This is general information, not tax or legal advice.
What does SOCSO not cover, and where does insurance fit?
SOCSO is a good safety net, and every worker should make sure it is paid. But it was never meant to be a full family protection plan. These are the gaps I explain most often:
- Hospital bills for illness. SOCSO's medical benefit is for employment injuries and occupational diseases. LINDUNG 24 Jam covers treatment for accidents outside work, but its exclusions include conditions such as diabetes, fever and hypertension. A cancer operation or heart treatment in a private hospital is what a medical card is for.
- A lump sum for your family. Survivors' and dependants' benefits are paid as a pension based on capped wages. They do not clear a housing loan or fund your children's education in one go. That is the job of life insurance and MLTA.
- Income above RM6,000. Contributions and benefits stop at the RM6,000 ceiling, so a higher earner's replacement income is much lower than their real salary.
- After 60. Employees aged 60 and above are only in the injury scheme, so invalidity and survivors' pensions no longer apply.
- Business owners and freelancers outside the 20 sectors, and non-working spouses who are not registered, may have no SOCSO cover at all.
- Your property and car. SOCSO protects people, not your shop, house or vehicle.
So the sensible order is: first make sure SOCSO is in place, then use private cover to fill only the gaps that matter for your family.
What should I do next?
Here is a simple checklist you can do this week:
- Look at your payslip and confirm there is a SOCSO and an EIS deduction.
- If you are self-employed or drive e-hailing, check whether you are registered for LINDUNG KENDIRI, and watch for the Budget 2027 matching incentive.
- If your spouse is a housewife, consider the RM120 a year LINDUNG KASIH registration.
- Write down what SOCSO pays your family if something happens, then compare it with your housing loan, monthly expenses and children's needs.
If you would like a second pair of eyes, send me a WhatsApp at 016-914 0086. I can walk you through what SOCSO already gives you, what your existing policies cover, and whether there is any real gap. You can also read my guide on insurance tax relief to see what you can claim this year. No hard selling: if SOCSO and what you already have are enough, I will tell you so.