Maternity is a life-changing journey that brings joy, anticipation, and a fair share of challenges—especially for working women. Recognizing the need to support women during this critical phase, the Philippine government, through the Social Security System (SSS), offers a comprehensive maternity benefit program. This initiative aims to provide financial assistance to female members who are unable to work due to childbirth, miscarriage, or emergency termination of pregnancy (ETP), ensuring a safety net during a physically and emotionally demanding time.
The SSS Maternity Benefit reflects the government’s commitment to gender equality and maternal welfare. It covers all female SSS members, regardless of their employment or marital status—whether they are employed, self-employed, voluntary members, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), or even non-working spouses. With the integration of the Expanded Maternity Leave Law, eligible women can now enjoy extended paid leave days while receiving financial support equivalent to their average daily earnings.
This benefit not only eases the financial strain during maternity but also ensures that women can prioritize their health and that of their newborns without sacrificing income. The government has simplified the application process through online submission and established clear guidelines regarding eligibility, computation, disbursement, and timelines—making it easier for members to claim what they are rightfully entitled to.
Overview of the SSS Maternity Benefit
The SSS Maternity Benefit offers financial aid to female members who are temporarily unable to work due to childbirth, miscarriage, or ETP. It provides 100% of the member’s average daily salary credit (ADSC), multiplied by the number of qualified leave days. The program supports all female SSS members—regardless of their employment classification—making it a wide-reaching social protection measure.
Eligibility Conditions
To qualify:
- The member must have paid at least three monthly contributions in the 12 months before the semester of childbirth or pregnancy termination.
- Employed women must inform their employers, who will then notify the SSS.
- Self-employed, voluntary, OFW, or non-working spouses must personally notify the SSS via their My.SSS account, the mobile app, or self-service terminals.
Benefit Amount and Duration
The maternity benefit is computed as:
- ADSC = Sum of the 6 highest Monthly Salary Credits (MSC) during the past 12 months / 180
- Benefit = ADSC × Number of leave days
Compensable periods:
- 105 days for live birth (normal or C-section)
- 120 days for solo parents (RA 8972)
- 60 days for miscarriage or ETP
Employers pay the full benefit in advance to employees and are later reimbursed by SSS. A salary differential is also paid by employers unless exempted. For non-employed members, SSS pays directly.
Special Provisions and Limitations
- Only one benefit is given per childbirth, even for multiple births (e.g., twins).
- If a member gets pregnant again shortly after a previous delivery, only overlapping days are deducted.
- Maternity leave must be used continuously, and postnatal leave must include at least 60 days.
- Women may transfer up to 7 days of their leave to the child’s father or an alternate caregiver, but only for live births.
- In cases of death or incapacity, the unused portion of the benefit may be transferred to the child’s father or caregiver with proper documentation.
Payment and Disbursement Process
- Employers must advance the benefit to employed members within 30 days of notification.
- Reimbursement is processed by SSS after verification.
- Members not currently employed receive the payment directly from SSS.
- Disbursements are made through the Disbursement Account Enrollment Module (DAEM). Members can register up to 3 accounts, while employers may register one account for all branches.
- If payment fails, account details must be updated in the My.SSS portal, and a re-disbursement request must be made.
Prescriptive Period for Claims
The claim must be filed within 10 years from the date of childbirth, miscarriage, or ETP. This allows ample time for members to gather necessary documents and complete the process.
Application Process
All applications must be done online via the My.SSS portal:
- Log in to your My.SSS account (for members or employers).
- Submit either the Maternity Benefit Application (MBA) or Maternity Benefit Reimbursement Application (MBRA).
- Upload required documents, including:
- Birth certificate or fetal death certificate
- Medical or surgical records
- Proof of pregnancy/delivery
- Valid ID (solo parent ID or equivalent documents if applicable)
- Wait for email or SMS confirmation regarding the claim’s status.