China has over 200 million flexible employment workers. In recent years, as people's incomes have continued to rise, more and more people have extra money to participate in social insurance. Participating in social insurance means being included in the social security system and being able to share the benefits brought by the development and progress of the economy and society. By the end of 2022, the number of insured people in China reached 357.11 million, with approximately 26 million new insured people in a year.

What pressures do flexible employment workers face when participating in insurance?

Some friends in flexible employment have expressed that there is pressure to pay for insurance, mainly for the following reasons:

First, the continuous increase in the social insurance payment base. The social insurance payment base is linked to the average social wage. For example, this year in Shandong Province, the upper and lower limits of the payment base were raised again to 4,416 yuan to 22,078 yuan, an increase of 4.1% over the previous year. If the income of flexible employment workers does not increase, the pressure to pay for insurance will definitely become greater. It is expected that this year, social insurance payments across the country will mostly increase by more than 4% to 6%. Shanghai is relatively stable, with only a 1.1% increase, but the lower limit of the payment base has reached 7,384 yuan.

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Second, the income of flexible employment workers is unstable. If there are some objective changes, there may be a situation where there is no income. Especially affected by the economic environment, the first to be affected are groups such as flexible employment workers. In case of personal health issues, it will also turn flexible employment workers into zero-income.

Third, affected by the income and expenditure of flexible employment workers. Once flexible employment workers have a large expenditure, the pressure to participate in insurance will definitely increase dramatically. For example, buying a car and a house requires paying the mortgage and car loan on time every month. Children going to school requires paying for tutoring fees and living expenses. There may also be family members getting sick, which requires a large expenditure, and so on.

What methods can flexible employment workers use to cope with the pressure of participating in insurance?

According to national regulations, flexible employment workers participate in social insurance by bearing all the social insurance premiums themselves. If the pressure to participate in insurance becomes greater, the following methods are recommended:Firstly, one can opt for a lower social insurance contribution base. Of course, if one has been contributing at a higher base in the past, such as reducing from a 100% tier to a 60% tier, one can save up to 40% of the money. Although lowering the contribution tier will reduce the pension, the contribution duration is more important.

Secondly, one can choose to only pay for the pension insurance. Pension insurance is the most critical factor affecting the level of pension. For medical insurance, one can temporarily use the urban and rural resident medical insurance as an alternative, after all, the probability of young people getting sick is relatively low.

Thirdly, one can temporarily choose to suspend insurance. After all, pension insurance only requires 15 years of payment to guarantee the pension, and contributions beyond 15 years will only increase the pension. If one's income is low and there are no conditions to participate, lowering the expectation for future pensions is also a necessary measure.

Fourthly, one can borrow money to participate in insurance. Generally, it is not necessary to borrow money to participate in insurance, but for some people who are approaching retirement and have not yet paid social insurance for 15 years, suspending insurance will lead to a delayed retirement. After all, the financial system is now developed, and people also have relatives and friends, so borrowing money to get through difficult times is also an option.

Fifthly, one can apply for social insurance subsidies. This situation is mainly for people with employment difficulties, and according to local conditions, a certain economic subsidy is given to the insured, generally not exceeding three years. If the first application is within 5 years of retirement, one can enjoy it until retirement. For example, the standard in Qingdao City is 500 yuan/month, and the standard in Shanghai City is 50% of the personal payment standard, up to a maximum of 2/3 of the personal payment.

Sixthly, strive to achieve employment in a unit. If one is employed by an employer, the unit will bear all the social insurance costs, and the individual does not have to worry, and there will be a salary every month. However, one will be subject to the rules and regulations of the employing unit, and it is necessary to be mentally prepared.

Flexible employment personnel must choose their payment according to their own ability to bear, and must not give up after paying for two or three years. #What difficulties do flexible employment personnel face when participating in insurance?#