Service: Maternity Benefit of an SSS Voluntary Member

Being an SSS member doesn't automatically qualifiy you to certain SSS benefits such as sickness and maternity. You have to pass their eligibility requirements.

I've been an inactive member for almost 4 years and I wouldn't have updated my SSS contributions if I hadn't been pregnant. Thankfully, I was able to update in time and paid the required number of months to be eligible for maternity benefits. According to the website, a female member, employed, self-employed or paying voluntarily, is entitled to the maternity benefits if:

1. She has paid at least three monthly contributions within the 12-month period immediately preceding the semester of her childbirth or miscarriage.
2. She has given the required notification of her pregnancy through her employer if employed, or to the SSS if separated, voluntary or self-employed member.
   
   
   

How to know if you have the required monthly contributions?

If you are updating your contributions regularly (and have not skipped a payment), then you most likely have paid the required number of monthly contributions to qualify. To determine this, take your estimated month of delivery and know which semester it falls under.

By semester it means:

Two consecutive quarters ending in the quarter of contingency, where a quarter refers to three consecutive months ending March, June, September or December.

For example, if your expected month of delivery is November 2012. November falls under the 4th quarter (Oct-Nov-Dec). Then include the quarter preceding that, which is the 3rd quarter (Jul-Aug-Sep). From July, count 12 months backward:

• Jun 2012
• May 2012
• April 2012
• March 2012
• February 2012
• January 2012
• December 2011
• November 2011
• October 2011
• September 2011
• August 2011
• July 2011

This means that from July 2011 to June 2012, you must have paid at least 3 monthly contributions in order to qualify for maternity benefit. Otherwise, your maternity benefit application will be rejected.

How to file for notification of pregnancy?

Voluntary members must go to the nearest SSS branch, fill out the MAT-1 (Maternity Notification Form) and submit together with a proof of pregnancy (a pregnancy test from the hospital or an ultrasound result). I don't think home pregnancy kit results are accepted because they cannot show when the test was done.

Filing of the MAT-1 form must be at least 60 days from the date of conception but not later than the date of delivery. I asked the personnel from our local branch if there's a deadline for filing, and he said that as long as the female member hasn't given birth yet, she can still submit the MAT-1 form. However, voluntary members are encouraged to file a notification earlier for faster processing of benefits.

After submitting the MAT-1 and proof of pregnancy, now what?

You will be given a MAT-2 (Maternity Reimbursement Form), which you will need to submit together with the registered copy of the child's birth certificate, after you have given birth. Registered copy means that it was already registered at the city/municipality where you gave birth. Hospitals are the ones who will submit the birth documents to the city registrar. You'll just have to wait for a few days to a few weeks to get a registered copy. You can get this either from the hospital or directly from the city/municipal hall. But this is only for normal spontaneous delivery. For C-section delivery, you will also need a certified true copy of operating room record/surgical memorandum from the hospital where you gave birth.

When I submitted these documents, I was also given an Obstetrical History Sheet and they asked me to have it signed by ANY OB-Gyne. I even asked this twice, and the personnel who received my MAT-2 said that ANY OB-Gyne, even if he/she was not the one who attended to me, can sign the form. But when I went to the nearest OB-Gyne, she refused to sign the form and said that they're not allowed to fill out that form unless they are the one who facilitated the delivery. So to be sure, just go to your OB-Gyne and have it signed.

After you've accomplished this, wait for at least 2 weeks for the check to be delivered to your address. You can also check the status of your maternity benefit claim if you have an SSS online account. Mine was processed in a week (after I submitted all the required documents) and was delivered to my home address less than 2 weeks later.

NOTE: Please note that there's a lot of unanswered questions in the comments section below. I am in no way affiliated with SSS so I am not qualified to answer all queries pertaining to your account. The information I shared in this post is based on my experience and knowledge as a voluntary paying member of SSS. If you need more information or if you have a particular question that wasn't discussed in the post, the best way is to contact SSS directly. You can go to your nearest SSS branch, or leave a message on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sssonlineinquirysystem, or you can also shoot them an email at SSS Member Relations <member_relations@sss.gov.ph> (yes, they do reply to emails but it might take a while).