- Introducing the concept of individual pension accounts
The individual pension account is an account to which an employer contributes at least 6% of a worker's monthly wage to an account overseen by the Bureau of Labor Insurance. The Bureau allocates the payments to accounts with serial numbers based on the name, ID card number and birth date of workers. It works very much like a bank account only there is no bankbook and there are restrictions on withdrawals (a worker is not permitted to withdraw from his/her pension account until they reach the age of 60).
- How to inquire your individual pension account's current balance
Safeguarding workers' confidential is of primary concern, thus, the Bureau of Labor Insurance has devised the following procedures for workers' inquiries into their individualized pension account:
(1) Personally contacting the Bureau of Labor Insurance and it's local offices. Inquire in person at the head office or a local office of the Bureau of Labor Insurance: The worker should bring the original of his or her national ID card or other forms of identification adequate to prove his or her identity (e.g., driver’s license and National Health Insurance card with photo) and visit the head office or a local office of the Bureau of Labor Insurance. Upon verification of the identity of the applicant, personnel of the Bureau of Labor Insurance will then print out a copy of the worker’s pension account balance information.
(2) Using citizen digital certificate through the Bureau of Labor Insurance's website. The worker must first apply for and obtain a Citizen Digital Certificate in person at his or her local household registration office. Then use the Citizen Digital Certificate to login to the Bureau of Labor Insurance online service website (https://edesk.bli.gov.tw/na/); click on “Query” / "Labor Pension Personal Account Benefit Calculation” to check the balance for the personal account (principal plus gains) as of the date of inquiry.
(3) Inquire using the “Labor Protection Card” at an ATM owned by the card-issuing bank. The worker must first apply for and obtain the Labor Protection Card from one of the 5 financial institutions designated by the Bureau of Labor Insurance (the Land Bank, the E.Sun Bank, the Taipei Fubon Bank, the Taishin International Bank and the First Bank). The worker may insert the Labor Protection Card into an ATM owned by the card-issuing bank and make a query about the 6 most recent transactions on his or her account and balance information upon verification of identity by the system. He or she may also login to the card-issuing bank’s website and connect to the Bureau of Labor Insurance network via the bank’s Internet ATMs to check account balance information upon verification of his or her identity.
(4) Post Office ATM Cards Able to inquiries into Individual Labor Pension Account. From November 1, 2012, laborers holding Chunghwa Post ATM cards who wish to apply for this service may go to any post office branch to sign a letter of consent authorizing the Bureau to release their personal information to Chunghwa Post Co., Ltd. for inquiries and printing by the cardholder. In the future, the cardholders may conduct inquiries at any time and through any post office ATM to fully grasp the details of their labor benefits.
Online Calculator for Labor Pension
Workers of 60 or above are recommended to use this online calculator before they claim the labor pension. Please visit the BLI's website and click "Online Application"; select
e-service system (log-in procedures are required)/personal application and enquiry; log onto the BLI's e-service system using the "Citizen Digital Certificate",“TW FidO", or "mobile phone authentication". When successfully accessed the system, please click "Enquiry Services"/ "Online Calculator of Payment for the Individual Labor Pension Account" for an estimated amount of the pension. Alternatively, you may visit the BLI or any of its local offices for over-the-counter enquiries or the calculation service. If the worker has been actually contributing to the pension for fifteen years or longer, the online calculator will provide both the monthly pension payment and the lump sum pension payment. For those with a contribution period of less than fifteen years, the online calculator will only provide the lump sum payment amount.
The online calculator is provided by the Ministry of Labor, enabling the workers to estimate their pension receivable and plan for the retired life. The workers may input different variables for the calculation, including the estimated salary, estimated rate of investment return, salary increase rate, contribution rate and seniority. The result is for reference only and shall not affect the actual amount of labor pension. The actual amount of labor pension shall be determined, however, based on the total accumulated balance in the Individual Labor Pension Account with the BLI.