Due to the global coronavirus pandemic, many practices in Turkey were suspended or relaxed across various areas. As Turkey began its normalization process, the suspended measures were reinstated so life could return to its previous state. In this context, procedures and rights granted by the Social Security Institution (SGK) to insured persons and beneficiaries became effective again as of August 2020.
Suspended Procedures Resumed
To provide relief during the coronavirus outbreak, the Social Security Institution implemented a number of temporary measures. Although many suspended or paused practices across Turkey were restored from June onward, SGK chose to reintroduce its suspended procedures gradually rather than all at once.
As of August 2020, SGK removed the suspension for all measures that had been paused due to the pandemic. Insured parties covered by SGK must therefore be aware of the decisions taken during the normalization process. Many procedures that had been paused by SGK were reactivated and responsible parties are once again being held accountable. If insured workers or retirees are unaware that these procedures are back in effect, responsibility for any consequences will generally fall on them, so staying informed about reactivated measures is important.
Procedures Restarted
The procedures SGK restarted are as follows;
- Payment of sick leave allowances was adjusted: payment of report (sick leave) allowances was stopped unless employers submit notification that the employee did not work during the leave period. In other words, before the sick pay is made, the employer must now report whether the employee did not work. Payments will be processed based on that notification.
- Notifications and official communications resumed for those automatically registered as general health insurance holders under article 60/g because they had no social security, and for those placed under 60/c-1 (green card) status following income test results or appeals. These individuals will again receive notices and formal notices according to their income test outcomes.
- Inspections of institutions and organizations that had been paused during the pandemic resumed. From August, complaints and reports submitted via ALO 170 began to be received again, and social security audits of institutions and organizations regained their validity.
- Except for cases at risk of statute-of-limitations expiration, enforcement, collection, seizure and sale procedures concerning institutional receivables that had already been placed into enforcement under Law No. 6183 were scheduled to resume on September 1, 2020. For institutional receivables not yet in enforcement, enforcement, seizure and collection procedures were set to restart on October 1, 2020. Accordingly, enforcement and seizure actions that were suspended from March 2020 onward will continue.
- With the exception of cases where the statute of limitations is at risk, all procedures related to administrative fines that had been issued — including notification of the fine, collection, follow-up and referral to enforcement — were planned to recommence on October 1, 2020.
Short-Time Work Allowance Continues
Although SGK reactivated a number of suspended measures as of August, the short-time work allowance (short-time working benefit) remained in effect. Beneficiaries of the short-time work allowance could continue to receive this benefit through the end of the year. However, SGK was expected to take steps to address incomplete premium days recorded during periods of full-time absence under the short-time work allowance and to mitigate disadvantages arising from extended retirement periods due to the duration of the allowance. Measures to remedy any resulting disadvantages for insured people were anticipated.