Social security authentication can be done by smartphone

Insured people around China can now accomplish qualification authentications for social security via their smartphones, instead of visiting required places at a required time, said China’s top social benefit authority on Thursday.

“Now the insured in all areas don’t need to gather at regulated places at a designated time for social security qualification authentications,” said You Jun, deputy minister of Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, “They can finish that through data comparison.”

The ministry issued a directive in March, requiring local social security departments to fully implement such authentication service.

Jia Huaibin, director of the ministry’s social security center, said, “Local social security departments should make data comparisons every month by utilizing the social benefit online system, medical insurance system and online supervision.”

“It’s also encouraged to try sharing information on real-name authentication with police, health, transport and tourism authorities at various levels,” he said.

For those who cannot accomplish qualification authentications via data comparison, local community workers would help them at their homes, said Jia.

“And we’re trying to help those living overseas finish authentications through facial recognition on the internet and smartphone apps,” he said.

The insured, such as the retired, should come to local social security service offices to finish identity authentication during regulated months, to prevent social security fund fraud. But that regulation is inconvenient for the disabled, elderly and those living abroad.

The main kind of social security involved in the new change is endowment insurance. According to the official website for the Luoyang government in Henan province, the retired in the city can accomplish qualification authentications of their endowment insurance via facial recognition on the designated app from July to October.