Definition

​The SSS Maternity Benefit is a daily cash allowance granted to a female member who is unable to work due to childbirth, miscarriage, or emergency termination of pregnancy (ETP).

It is granted to female members in every instance of childbirth, miscarriage, or ETP, regardless of civil status, employment status, legitimacy of child, and frequency of pregnancy.

See Expanded Maternity Leave Law
See Implementing Rules and Regulations

Qualifying Conditions

A member is qualified to avail of this benefit if she:

1. Has paid at least three (3) months of contributions in the 12-month period immediately preceding the semester of childbirth, miscarriage, or ETP. In determining the female member’s entitlement to the benefit, the SSS shall only consider those contributions paid prior to the semester of contingency; and
2. Has duly notified the employer of her pregnancy and the probable date of her childbirth, if employed. Moreover, the notice shall be transmitted to SSS in accordance with the rules and regulations it may provide; and
3. Has duly notified the SSS directly of her pregnancy and the probable date of her childbirth, if a self-employed (SE) or voluntary member (VM), a non-working spouse (NWS), or an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW).

Benefit Details

Amount of Benefit

The amount of the daily maternity benefit allowance is equivalent to one hundred percent (100%) of the female member’s average daily salary credit (ADSC) for a compensable period of:

Employed female members shall receive full pay, which consists of their SSS maternity benefit computed based on their ADSC and salary differential to be paid by the employer, except for the following:

1. Distressed establishments
2. Retail/service establishments with not more than 10 workers
3. Micro-business enterprises with total assets of not more than P3M
4. Those with similar or more than the proposed benefits

NOTE: 

• Application for Exemption shall be submitted to DOLE every 1st quarter of the year.
• Salary differential refers to the amount borne by the employer relative to the difference between the actual cash benefits received from the SSS and the regular wage of the employed female member for the entire duration of the maternity leave.

Meanwhile, female SE members (including those in the informal economy), non-working spouses, VMs, and OFWs shall receive the SSS maternity benefit only.

Benefit Computation

1. Exclude the semester of contingency.

• • A semester refers to two (2) consecutive quarters ending in the quarter of sickness.
  • A quarter refers to three (3) consecutive months ending in March, June, September, or December.

2. Count twelve (12) months backwards starting from the month immediately before the semester of contingency.

3. Select the six (6) highest monthly salary credits within the 12-month period to arrive at the total monthly salary credit.

• • Monthly salary credit (MSC) refers to the compensation base for contributions and benefits related to the total earnings for the month.

Refer to the SSS Contribution Table.

4. Divide the total monthly salary credit by 180 days to get the average daily salary credit (ADSC).

5. Multiply the daily maternity allowance by the approved number of days to arrive at the amount of benefit due.

ADSC = Ave. MSC / 180

• • x 60 days for miscarriage/emergency termination of pregnancy
  • x 105 days for live childbirth (normal or caesarean section delivery)
  • x 120 days for solo parent under R.A. 8972 (Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000) 105 days + 15 days

Sample Computation

Limitations in Granting the Maternity Benefit

The grant of maternity benefit is a bar to the recovery of sickness benefit under RA No. 11199 or SS Act of 2018 for the same period for which daily maternity benefits have been received.

In case of the overlapping of two (2) maternity benefit claims, the female member shall be granted maternity benefits for both contingencies in a consecutive manner. However, the amount of benefit corresponding to the period where there is an overlap shall be deducted from the current maternity benefit claim.

Moreover, the female member shall be paid only one (1) maternity benefit regardless of the number of offspring per childbirth or delivery (e.g. twins, triplets, quadruplets, etc.).

Rules in Filing of Maternity Notifications

For Employed Members and Employers

The female member, upon confirmation of pregnancy, shall immediately inform her employer of such fact and the expected date of childbirth through submission of Maternity Notification Form together with any of the following proof of pregnancy:

1. Result of pregnancy test duly signed by the physician/municipal health officer; or
2. Result of other diagnostic tests, which may include any of the following:
   • Ultrasound; or
   •  Blood Pregnancy test
     • Beta HCG; or
     • Early Pregnancy factor

The employer shall, in turn, notify the SSS through the submission of Maternity Notification through the employer’s My.SSS account in the SSS Website.  The employer shall not be required to transmit to SSS the proof of pregnancy submitted to them by the member.

For SE/VM/NWS and OFW

SE/VM/NWS/OFW members may give notice directly to the SSS through any of the following channels:

• Member’s My.SSS account in the SSS Website;
• SSS Mobile App; or
• Self-Service Express Terminals

Manner of Benefit Payment

The full payment of maternity benefits shall be advanced by the employer within thirty (30) days from the filing of the maternity leave application. The SSS shall then immediately reimburse the employer of 100% of the amount of SSS maternity benefits advanced to the employee upon receipt of satisfactory proof of such payment and legality thereof.

On the other hand, the SSS shall directly pay the female member whose contingency occurred during employment but who is currently unemployed, temporarily laid off, or whose company is on lock-out or experiencing a labor strike or separated from employment/SE/VM/OFW/NWS.

Benefit Disbursement

Maternity benefits shall be released to the member’s/employer’s approved disbursement account in the Disbursement Account Enrollment Module (DAEM). Hence, members/employers shall be required to enroll their disbursement account details in the DAEM, in the My.SSS. Individual members may enroll a maximum of three (3) disbursement accounts, while Employers shall enroll one (1) disbursement account. Moreover, employers may enroll the same disbursement account for all their branches and subsidiaries.

See also How to Enroll an account in the Disbursement Account Enrollment Module

An electronic notification shall be sent to the member/employer upon crediting of the benefit claims to their bank/E-wallet accounts, or if the benefit is already available for disbursement through remittance centers. Members/employers may also view the status of the disbursement through the Inquiry Module of the My.SSS account

However, in case of unsuccessful crediting of the benefit to the enrolled disbursement account of the member/employer, the member/employer shall be required to update details of their existing disbursement account information or enroll a new disbursement account in the DAEM and shall request re-disbursement of the maternity benefits through the Benefit Re-disbursement Module in the member’s/employer’s My.SSS account.

See How to Request Benefit Re-disbursement

The maternity leave benefit cannot be deferred but should be availed of either before or after the actual period of delivery in a continuous and uninterrupted manner, and such that:

In all the above instances, the maternity leave benefit can be credited as combinations of prenatal and postnatal leave as long as it does not exceed 105 days or 60 days, as the case may be. In no case shall postnatal care be less than 60 days.

Allocation of Maternity Leave Credits

Female members have the option to allocate maternity leave credits of up to seven (7) days to the child’s father (married or not) or to the qualified alternate caregiver (a relative within 4th degree of consanguinity or the current partner of the member sharing the same household). The maternity leave credits of the female member shall be reduced accordingly, depending on the number of days allocated to the child’s father or to the qualified alternate caregiver.

The child’s father or qualified alternate caregiver must present to their employer a written notice from the member stating the number of allocated days, as proof of allocation. The allocated leave credits may be enjoyed either in a continuous or an intermittent manner within the maternity leave period of the female member.

Meanwhile, the option to allocate maternity leave credits shall not be applicable in case the female worker suffers miscarriage or ETP.

In Case of Death or Permanent Incapacity of the female worker

In the event the beneficiary female worker dies or becomes permanently incapacitated, the balance of her maternity leave benefits, if any, shall accrue to the child’s father or to a qualified alternate caregiver subject to the following conditions:

• That the maternity leave benefits have not yet been settled; and
• Subject to submission of proof of member’s death or incapacity and compliance to applicable SSS rules.

In case the maternity leave benefits have already been paid to the deceased or permanently incapacitated female worker in full, the child’s father or qualified alternate caregiver shall be entitled to enjoy the remaining unexpired leave credits of the female worker, if any, without pay. Such leave without pay shall not be considered as a gap in the service of the child’s father or qualified alternate caregiver in both the public and private sector.

Prescriptive Period

Applications for maternity benefit claims may be filed within ten (10) years from the date of delivery, miscarriage, or ETP.

How to Apply

Effective 01 September 2021, the Maternity Benefit Application (MBA)/Maternity Benefit Reimbursement Application (MBRA) shall be filed online through the member’s/employer’s My.SSS account in the SSS Website.

If filing for Maternity Notification

No documents will be required from SE/VM/NWS/OFW members who will submit maternity notifications online.

Register or login to My.SSS now
See How to Apply for Maternity Benefit Application online
See How to enroll an account in the Disbursement Account Enrollment Module (DAEM)

If filing for Maternity Benefit Application (MBA) – for individual members

BASIC DOCUMENTS

1. For Live Childbirth

Any ONE of the following, whichever is applicable:

• • Child’s Certificate of Live Birth duly registered with the Local Civil Registrar (LCR) or issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA); or
  • Report of Child’s Birth issued abroad; or
  • Child’s Certificate of Death duly registered with the LCR or issued by the PSA or issued abroad.

Note: Documents issued in a foreign country shall be submitted with English Translation, if applicable.

2. For Miscarriage/Emergency Termination of Pregnancy (ETP)/Ectopic Pregnancy

If Miscarriage

Any ONE of the following proofs of pregnancy:

• • Result of pregnancy test duly signed by the physician/municipal health officer; or
  • Result of other diagnostic test which may include ANY of the following:
    • Ultrasound; or
    • Blood Pregnancy test (Beta HCG); or
    • Early Pregnancy factor.

 AND

Any ONE of the following proofs of termination of pregnancy:

• • Pregnancy test result/s; or
  • Ultrasound result/s; or
  • Histopathological Report.

 If H-Mole/Ectopic Pregnancy

• • Certified true copy of hospital/medical records stating how the condition was managed.

3. If Still Birth/Fetal Death

 Any ONE of the following, whichever is applicable:

• • Fetal Certificate of Death duly registered with the LCR or issued by the PSA or issued abroad; or
  • Certified true copy of hospital/medical records stating the outcome of delivery.

 SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

1. If Solo Parent (for delivery date on or after 11 March 2019 only, applicable to Live Childbirth)

 Any ONE of the following, whichever is applicable:

• • Solo Parent ID issued within two (2) years from date of delivery by the Local Government Unit (LGU) and signed by the Social Worker and the City/Municipal Mayor; or
  • Certification of eligibility of the Solo Parent issued by the LGU and signed by the Social Worker/City/ Municipal Mayor, if the ID is not yet available.

2. If Caesarian Section Delivery (for delivery date prior 11 March 2019 only)

Any ONE of these documents, whichever is applicable:

• • Operating Room Record (ORR); or
  • Surgical Memorandum; or
  •  Discharge Summary Report; or
  • Medical/Clinical Abstract; or Delivery Report; or
  • Detailed invoice showing caesarian delivery charges, for deliveries abroad only; or
  • Similar medical documents submitted which indicate the type of contingency.

3. For SE/VM who was previously employed or a member separated from employment

If the delivery/miscarriage/ETP occurs within the employment period or within six (6) months from her date of separation from employment, any one of the following, whichever is applicable:

• • Certificate of Separation from Employment indicating the effective date of separation and that no advance payment was granted by the Employer; or
  • Affidavit of undertaking indicating effective date of separation from employment and that no advance payment was granted by the Employer.

If filing for Maternity Benefit Reimbursement Application (MBRA) – for employers

See also How to file for Maternity Benefit Reimbursement Application (MBRA) for Employers

BASIC DOCUMENTS

1. For Live Childbirth

Any ONE of the following, whichever is applicable:

• • Child’s Certificate of Live Birth duly registered with the Local Civil Registrar (LCR) or issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA); or
  • Report of Child’s Birth issued abroad; or
  • Child’s Certificate of Death duly registered with the LCR or issued by the PSA or issued abroad.

Note: Documents issued in a foreign country shall be submitted with English Translation, if applicable.

2. For Miscarriage/Emergency Termination of Pregnancy (ETP)/Ectopic Pregnancy

If Miscarriage

Any ONE of the following proofs of pregnancy:

• • Result of pregnancy test duly signed by the physician/municipal health officer; or
  • Result of other diagnostic test which may include ANY of the following:
    • Ultrasound; or
    • Blood Pregnancy test (Beta HCG); or
    • Early Pregnancy factor.

AND

Any ONE of the following proofs of termination of pregnancy:

• • Pregnancy test result/s; or
  • Ultrasound result/s; or
  • Histopathological Report.

If H-Mole/Ectopic Pregnancy

• • Certified true copy of hospital/medical records stating how the condition was managed.

3. If Still Birth/Fetal Death

Any ONE of the following, whichever is applicable:

• • Fetal Certificate of Death duly registered with the LCR or issued by the PSA or issued abroad; or
  • Certified true copy of hospital/medical records stating the outcome of delivery.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

1. If Solo Parent (for delivery date on or after 11 March 2019 only, applicable to Live Childbirth)

 Any ONE of the following, whichever is applicable:

• • Solo Parent ID issued within two (2) years from date of delivery by the Local Government Unit (LGU) and signed by the Social Worker and the City/Municipal Mayor; or
  • Certification of eligibility of the Solo Parent issued by the LGU and signed by the Social Worker/City/ Municipal Mayor, if the ID is not yet available.

2. If Caesarian Section Delivery (for delivery date prior 11 March 2019 only)

Any ONE of these documents, whichever is applicable:

• • Operating Room Record (ORR); or
  • Surgical Memorandum; or
  • Discharge Summary Report; or
  • Medical/Clinical Abstract; or Delivery Report; or
  • Detailed invoice showing caesarian delivery charges, for deliveries abroad only; or
  • Similar medical documents submitted which indicate the type of contingency.

3. If Employee is already separated/AWOL and did not submit the required child’s Certificate of Live Birth to employer.

Please submit the following documents in any of the combinations provided below: