FACT CHECK: Online link for DSWD unemployment aid is fake

Claim: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) posted a link to a survey offering P7,000 in unemployment financial assistance.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A link to the supposed survey has been circulating on Facebook and Messenger. Upon clicking the link, users are asked to complete the questionnaire to receive P7,000 in unemployment financial aid from the DSWD.

The facts: The supposed survey link is fake and did not come from the DSWD. The agency’s official website is www.dswd.gov.ph.

In a post on its official and verified Facebook page on November 15, DSWD said: “Ang DSWD ay walang pinapasagutang survey questionnaire kapalit ng unemployment financial assistance. Kung nangangailangan ng tulong sa gitna ng krisis na nararanasan, maaaring humingi ng tulong sa pamamagitan ng Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS).”

(The DSWD does not require individuals to answer a survey questionnaire in exchange for unemployment financial assistance. If you are facing a crisis and need assistance, you may seek help through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation program.)

AICS program: AICS is a social welfare service that provides individuals and families in need with medical aid, burial support, transportation assistance, and educational support, among others.

To apply for cash assistance and other types of aid, individuals must submit the required documents to the nearest DSWD office. The AICS website does not provide any link to an online form to apply for assistance.

The amount of assistance that an individual can receive varies, depending on the screening conducted by social workers.

Fake links: The DSWD has repeatedly warned the public to beware of posts and websites supposedly from the agency and offering various types of financial assistance.  

Rappler has previously fact-checked these suspicious links:

• FACT CHECK: No online link for unemployment financial aid – DSWD
• FACT CHECK: Online DSWD page linking to aid form for education is fake
• FALSE: DSWD posts online link for financial aid
• FACT CHECK: Online link for 4Ps registration is fake

Official news: For official updates on DSWD programs and services, refer to its official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube accounts. – Chinie Ann Jocel R. Mendoza/Rappler.com

Chinie Ann Jocel R. Mendoza is a Rappler Intern, under the Research Unit. She is a fourth-year Communication Research student at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Sta. Mesa Manila.

This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.

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