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 childbirth, miscarriage, or ETP.
  • 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. Identify and add 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). This is equivalent to the daily maternity allowance.

5. Multiply the daily maternity allowance by the compensable period to arrive at the amount of benefit due.

ADSC = Total MSC / 180

• • x 60 days for miscarriage/ETP including still birth
  • 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.

See also:

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

For contingencies that occurred on or after 11 March 2019, or the effectivity date of Republic Act No. (RA) 11210 or the Expanded Maternity Leave Law (EMLL)

1. The female member or employer shall be required to submit online the scanned copy of the original (colored) or certified true copy with good image quality of the following supporting documents, whichever is applicable:

1. 1. For live childbirth (normal or caesarian) – Any of the following:
      1. Child’s Certificate of Live Birth (CLB)/Certificate of Death (COD) duly registered with the Local Civil Registrar (LCR) with corresponding Official Receipt (OR), or Acknowledgement Receipt (AR) issued by the LCR, if the filing date of MBA/MBRA is within six (6) months from the date of delivery; or
      2. Child’s CLB/COD issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) with corresponding OR or AR if the filing date of MBA/MBRA is beyond six (6) months from the date of delivery; or
      3. Report of Child’s Birth/Death issued by the Philippine Embassy/ Consulate General/PSA, or its equivalent document issued in a foreign country with English translation, if applicable.
   2. For stillbirth or fetal death – Any of the following:
      1. Certificate of Fetal Death (COFD) duly registered with the LCR with corresponding OR or AR issued by the LCR, if filing date of MBA/MBRA is within six (6) months from the date of delivery; or
      2. COFD issued by PSA with corresponding OR or AR if filing date of MBA/MBRA is beyond six (6) months from the date of delivery; or
      3. COFD issued by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate General/PSA, or its equivalent document issued in a foreign country with English translation, if applicable.
   3. For miscarriage, emergency termination of pregnancy (ETP), ectopic pregnancy or hydatidiform mole – The following documents shall be required for submission:
      1. Any of the following proofs of pregnancy:
         1. Result of pregnancy test duly signed by a physician/municipal health officer; or
         2. Result of other diagnostic tests with the corresponding report duly signed by a physician, which may include any of the following:
            • Ultrasound;
            • Blood Pregnancy test (Beta HCG); or
            • Early Pregnancy factor; and
      2. Any of the following proofs of termination of pregnancy duly signed by a physician:
         1. Pregnancy test result;
         2. Ultrasound result;
         3. Histopathological Report; or
         4. Operating Room Record (ORR); and
      3. Any of the following medical documents duly signed by a physician:
         1. Medical Certificate;
         2. Records of Consultation; or
         3. Clinical Abstract/Discharge Summary

2. For specific maternity case or circumstance of the female member or employer, the following are the additional rules and/or required supporting documents (i.e., scanned copy of the colored original or certified true copy with good image quality), whichever is applicable:

1. 1. For maternity contingencies that occurred locally
      1. Medical documents that are electronically issued must be submitted together with the Official Receipt of the procedure.
      2. The physician’s name and Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) license number must be indicated in the medical documents.
   2. For maternity contingencies that occurred abroad
      1. Medical documents that are issued in the foreign country must be submitted with English translation, if applicable.
      2. Authentication by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate General or notary public in the foreign country, or issuance of apostille by a Foreign Ministry/Embassy/Consulate, for any supporting document shall not be required.
   3. For qualified Solo Parents under RA 8972 or the Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000
      1. Any of the following documents issued by the Local Government Unit (LGU) and signed by the Social Worker and the City/Municipal Mayor shall be required for submission:
         1. Valid Solo Parent ID; or
         2. Certification/e-Certification of eligibility of the Solo Parent, if the ID is not yet available.
      2. The date of delivery must be within the validity period of the Solo Parent ID/Certification/e-Certification of Eligibility, except for first-time solo parent whose document must have been issued within six (6) months from the date of delivery.
      3. Certification/e-Certification of eligibility must contain all the necessary details as reflected in the Solo Parent ID (e.g., name and address of solo parent, date of validity/issuance, name and date of birth of child/ren).
   4. For Self-employed (SE)/Voluntary (VM)/Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) members who were previously employed, or members already separated from employment – The following documents shall be required for submission, whichever is applicable:
      1. If the delivery/miscarriage/ETP occurs within the employment period or within six (6) months from her date of separation from employment: Certificate of Separation from Employment indicating the effective date of separation and that no advance payment was granted by the employer.
      2. If member cannot secure Certificate of Separation from Employment: Affidavit of Undertaking Form duly administered by the SSS branch official/employee or foreign representative authorized as administering officer, indicating the effective date of separation from employment and that no advance payment was granted by the employer, provided that the reason for separation is any of the following:
         1. Company is on strike;
         2. Company has been dissolved or has ceased operation;
         3. There is a pending case before a court regarding the member’s separation from employment;
         4. Member is on Absence Without Official Leave (AWOL) or has strained relations with the employer;
         5. Member’s current address is more than 30 kilometers from the employer’s address; or
         6. Member’s record from her former employer is no longer available.
   5. For employers who already paid the maternity benefit in advance to their female employees but cannot provide the required documents under Section I.A since said employees did not return or report back to work after childbirth/miscarriage/ETP or are already separated from employment or deceased
      1. The following documents shall be required for submission, whichever is applicable:
         1. Any medical document issued by the hospital/medical facility indicating live childbirth; or proof of pregnancy or any medical document issued by the hospital/medical facility indicating miscarriage/ETP; and
         2. Certification from the employer that the employee did not return or report back to work after childbirth/miscarriage/ETP, or that the employee is already separated from employment; or deceased employee’s COD issued by the PSA or LCR; and
         3. Any of the following proofs of advance payment by the employer of the SSS maternity benefit of the female member:
            1. Cash voucher or relevant document indicating receipt of advance payment signed by the member; or
            2. Proof of credit or transfer to the member’s bank account with corresponding pay slip or relevant document indicating the advance payment.
      2. For employers who cannot provide the child’s CLB/COD or any medical document issued by the hospital/medical facility indicating live childbirth, the reimbursement shall only correspond to sixty (60) days of maternity benefit for miscarriage/ETP or still birth/fetal death.
   6. For female members or employers filing for adjustment of settled maternity benefits since the allocated leave credits were not used due to unemployment/separation from employment of the child’s father or qualified alternate caregiver –The following documents shall be required for submission, whichever is applicable:
      1. If unemployed prior to and during the period of maternity leave: Duly notarized affidavit signed by the child’s father or qualified alternate caregiver stating that he/she is unemployed prior to and during the period of maternity leave;
      2. If the date of separation is prior to the date of delivery of the member: Certificate of Separation from Employment issued by the employer of the child’s father or qualified alternate caregiver indicating the effective date of separation; or
      3. If the date of separation is after the date of delivery of the member: Certificate/s issued by the employer of the child’s father or qualified alternate caregiver indicating the effective date of separation and that the maternity leave credits allocated by the member were not used.

For contingencies that occurred prior to 11 March 2019, or the effectivity date of RA 11210 or the EMLL

The female member or employer shall be required to submit online the same supporting documents as enumerated under Section I above. The following additional rules for caesarian delivery shall also apply:

1. Any of the following documents issued by the hospital/medical facility indicating the type of delivery:
   1. Operating room record (ORR);
   2. Surgical memorandum;
   3. Discharge summary report;
   4. Medical/Clinical abstract;
   5. Delivery report;
   6. Detailed invoice showing applicable charges, only if the caesarian delivery occurred abroad; or
   7. Similar medical documents.
2. For employers who already paid the maternity benefit in advance to their female employees but cannot provide the above-mentioned additional supporting document since said employees did not return or report back to work after childbirth, or are already separated from employment or deceased, the reimbursement shall only correspond to sixty (60) days of maternity benefit for normal delivery.

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

For contingencies that occurred on or after 11 March 2019, or the effectivity date of Republic Act No. (RA) 11210 or the Expanded Maternity Leave Law (EMLL)

1. The female member or employer shall be required to submit online the scanned copy of the original (colored) or certified true copy with good image quality of the following supporting documents, whichever is applicable:

1. 1. For live childbirth (normal or caesarian) – Any of the following:
      1. Child’s Certificate of Live Birth (CLB)/Certificate of Death (COD) duly registered with the Local Civil Registrar (LCR) with corresponding Official Receipt (OR), or Acknowledgement Receipt (AR) issued by the LCR, if the filing date of MBA/MBRA is within six (6) months from the date of delivery; or
      2. Child’s CLB/COD issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) with corresponding OR or AR if the filing date of MBA/MBRA is beyond six (6) months from the date of delivery; or
      3. Report of Child’s Birth/Death issued by the Philippine Embassy/ Consulate General/PSA, or its equivalent document issued in a foreign country with English translation, if applicable.
   2. For stillbirth or fetal death – Any of the following:
      1. Certificate of Fetal Death (COFD) duly registered with the LCR with corresponding OR or AR issued by the LCR, if filing date of MBA/MBRA is within six (6) months from the date of delivery; or
      2. COFD issued by PSA with corresponding OR or AR if filing date of MBA/MBRA is beyond six (6) months from the date of delivery; or
      3. COFD issued by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate General/PSA, or its equivalent document issued in a foreign country with English translation, if applicable.
   3. For miscarriage, emergency termination of pregnancy (ETP), ectopic pregnancy or hydatidiform mole – The following documents shall be required for submission:
      1. Any of the following proofs of pregnancy:
         1. Result of pregnancy test duly signed by a physician/municipal health officer; or
         2. Result of other diagnostic tests with the corresponding report duly signed by a physician, which may include any of the following:
            1. Ultrasound;
            2. Blood Pregnancy test (Beta HCG); or
            3. Early Pregnancy factor; and
      2. Any of the following proofs of termination of pregnancy duly signed by a physician:
         1. Pregnancy test result;
         2. Ultrasound result;
         3. Histopathological Report; or
         4. Operating Room Record (ORR); and
      3. Any of the following medical documents duly signed by a physician:
         1. Medical Certificate;
         2. Records of Consultation; or
         3. Clinical Abstract/Discharge Summary

2. For specific maternity case or circumstance of the female member or employer, the following are the additional rules and/or required supporting documents (i.e., scanned copy of the colored original or certified true copy with good image quality), whichever is applicable:

1. 1. For maternity contingencies that occurred locally
      1. Medical documents that are electronically issued must be submitted together with the Official Receipt of the procedure.
      2. The physician’s name and Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) license number must be indicated in the medical documents.
   2. For maternity contingencies that occurred abroad
      1. Medical documents that are issued in the foreign country must be submitted with English translation, if applicable.
      2. Authentication by the Philippine Embassy/Consulate General or notary public in the foreign country, or issuance of apostille by a Foreign Ministry/Embassy/Consulate, for any supporting document shall not be required.
   3. For qualified Solo Parents under RA 8972 or the Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000
      1. Any of the following documents issued by the Local Government Unit (LGU) and signed by the Social Worker and the City/Municipal Mayor shall be required for submission:
         1. Valid Solo Parent ID; or
         2. Certification/e-Certification of eligibility of the Solo Parent, if the ID is not yet available.
      2. The date of delivery must be within the validity period of the Solo Parent ID/Certification/e-Certification of Eligibility, except for first-time solo parent whose document must have been issued within six (6) months from the date of delivery.
      3. Certification/e-Certification of eligibility must contain all the necessary details as reflected in the Solo Parent ID (e.g., name and address of solo parent, date of validity/issuance, name and date of birth of child/ren).
   4. For Self-employed (SE)/Voluntary (VM)/Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) members who were previously employed, or members already separated from employment – The following documents shall be required for submission, whichever is applicable:
      1. If the delivery/miscarriage/ETP occurs within the employment period or within six (6) months from her date of separation from employment: Certificate of Separation from Employment indicating the effective date of separation and that no advance payment was granted by the employer.
      2. If member cannot secure Certificate of Separation from Employment: Affidavit of Undertaking Form duly administered by the SSS branch official/employee or foreign representative authorized as administering officer, indicating the effective date of separation from employment and that no advance payment was granted by the employer, provided that the reason for separation is any of the following:
         1. Company is on strike;
         2. Company has been dissolved or has ceased operation;
         3. There is a pending case before a court regarding the member’s separation from employment;
         4. Member is on Absence Without Official Leave (AWOL) or has strained relations with the employer;
         5. Member’s current address is more than 30 kilometers from the employer’s address; or
         6. Member’s record from her former employer is no longer available.
   5. For employers who already paid the maternity benefit in advance to their female employees but cannot provide the required documents under Section I.A since said employees did not return or report back to work after childbirth/miscarriage/ETP or are already separated from employment or deceased
      1. The following documents shall be required for submission, whichever is applicable:
         1. Any medical document issued by the hospital/medical facility indicating live childbirth; or proof of pregnancy or any medical document issued by the hospital/medical facility indicating miscarriage/ETP; and
         2. Certification from the employer that the employee did not return or report back to work after childbirth/miscarriage/ETP, or that the employee is already separated from employment; or deceased employee’s COD issued by the PSA or LCR; and
         3. Any of the following proofs of advance payment by the employer of the SSS maternity benefit of the female member:
            1. Cash voucher or relevant document indicating receipt of advance payment signed by the member; or
            2. Proof of credit or transfer to the member’s bank account with corresponding pay slip or relevant document indicating the advance payment.
      2. For employers who cannot provide the child’s CLB/COD or any medical document issued by the hospital/medical facility indicating live childbirth, the reimbursement shall only correspond to sixty (60) days of maternity benefit for miscarriage/ETP or still birth/fetal death.
   6. For female members or employers filing for adjustment of settled maternity benefits since the allocated leave credits were not used due to unemployment/separation from employment of the child’s father or qualified alternate caregiver – The following documents shall be required for submission, whichever is applicable:
      1. If unemployed prior to and during the period of maternity leave: Duly notarized affidavit signed by the child’s father or qualified alternate caregiver stating that he/she is unemployed prior to and during the period of maternity leave;
      2. If the date of separation is prior to the date of delivery of the member: Certificate of Separation from Employment issued by the employer of the child’s father or qualified alternate caregiver indicating the effective date of separation; or
      3. If the date of separation is after the date of delivery of the member: Certificate/s issued by the employer of the child’s father or qualified alternate caregiver indicating the effective date of separation and that the maternity leave credits allocated by the member were not used.

For contingencies that occurred prior to 11 March 2019, or the effectivity date of RA 11210 or the EMLL

The female member or employer shall be required to submit online the same supporting documents as enumerated under Section I above. The following additional rules for caesarian delivery shall also apply:

1. Any of the following documents issued by the hospital/medical facility indicating the type of delivery:
   1. Operating room record (ORR);
   2. Surgical memorandum;
   3. Discharge summary report;
   4. Medical/Clinical abstract;
   5. Delivery report;
   6. Detailed invoice showing applicable charges, only if the caesarian delivery occurred abroad; or
   7. Similar medical documents
2. For employers who already paid the maternity benefit in advance to their female employees but cannot provide the above-mentioned additional supporting document since said employees did not return or report back to work after childbirth, or are already separated from employment or deceased, the reimbursement shall only correspond to sixty (60) days of maternity benefit for normal delivery.