There is a growing expectation from members and beneficiaries for social security processes to be delivered in a standardized and timely way, both in normal circumstances and during disruptive and extreme situations, as shown by the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
Crises and extreme events can stretch the capacity of social security bodies that provide cash benefits to their limits and overwhelm the capacity of other social security branches or services. The pandemic has clearly demonstrated that the Social Security Institute of Guatemala (Instituto Guatemalteco de Seguridad Social – IGSS) must commit to keeping its promise to the Guatemalan population to keep its different services running, even in adverse conditions. We therefore had to rethink the procedures related to pension applications, including voluntary pension contribution requests.