How to compute and claim your SSS maternity benefits

How to compute and claim your SSS maternity benefits

Are you an SSS member with a bun in the oven? Then read on to know about the SSS maternity benefits you can avail of and how you can claim them.

The day you find out you're pregnant is one of the happiest and scariest moments in your life. But it comes with a multitude of responsibilities. So, it's always good to have a support system that will get you through it, like SSS maternity benefit.

SSS maternity benefits

Good thing there is some form of assistance that expectant mothers can avail. For example, there's the government-mandated SSS maternity benefits.

You're probably a first-time mother fumbling her way through this nine-month gestative voyage. Still, it's important to know what SSS maternity benefits and other government benefits you're entitled to.

What exactly are SSS maternity benefit?

This is the maternity leave granted to employed mothers, depending on the type of birth delivery a mom goes through. For a normal birth delivery, SSS maternity benefits allow for 60 calendar days of leave. Meanwhile a birth by cesarean section stretches the maternity leave to 78 calendar days.

Another one of the SSS maternity benefits “is a daily cash allowance granted to a female member who is unable to work, due to childbirth or miscarriage,” as defined by the Philippine Social Security System.

SSS maternity benefits

SSS maternity benefit eligibility

Any expectant mother may claim her SSS maternity benefits if she is a member. They may also claim if “she has paid at least three monthly contributions within the 12-month period immediately preceding the semester of her childbirth or miscarriage.”

She also has to submit “notifications of her pregnancy through her employer, or to SSS if separated, voluntary, or self-employed member.”

To understand this, let’s take a look at the calendar system of SSS:

A semester consists of six months (January to June and July to December). Then, a quarter is referred to as three consecutive months in a year (January to March, April to June, July to September, October to December). Say, a mother gave birth or had a miscarriage on November 10, this means the date falls in the July to December semester.

For her to claim her SSS maternity benefits, she should have paid her contributions for at least three consecutive months from July 2011 to June 2012.

SSS maternity benefits

Obtaining SSS maternity benefit

To obtain these SSS maternity benefits without a hitch, file the necessary paperwork as soon as you start announcing the bun in the oven. Fill out the Maternity Notification Form or the SSS FORM MAT-1 with proof of pregnancy (like a transvaginal ultrasound report).

For employed members, fill out the SSS Form MAT-2 for maternity reimbursement. This is so your employer can initially provide your salary credit due from SSS. This should be given by the time you go on your maternity leave.

You can then submit these forms to your HR representative, who should give notice to SSS on your behalf.

For voluntary/work-at-home/separated members, only the SSS FORM MAT-1 form is necessary. This is because the cash allowance is given directly to the member. The sooner this is done, the more you can enjoy your pregnancy with one less thing to worry about.

For a better understanding of the process, check out these infographics:

SSS maternity benefitsSSS maternity benefits


SSS maternity benefits




You can also read: Mom-to-be’s guide: Know all the maternity benefits you’re entitled to by law



Written by

Angela Vera

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