Get up to Php70,000 SSS Maternity Benefit for Voluntary/Self-Employed Members

*Disclaimer: The author is not connected in any way to SSS. All information shared on this post is based on the said law and responses from SSS and from other mommies as well. Thank you.

Everything You Need to Know About the Expanded Maternity Leave Law

What is the Expanded Maternity Leave Law?

The Expanded Maternity Leave Law is an act that increased the number of paid maternity leave period for female workers from 60 days for Normal Childbirth and 78 days for Caesarean Delivery to 105 days for both circumstances. As for miscarriage, stillbirth, and ETP (Emergency Termination of Pregnancy), the female worker is given 60 days of paid leave benefit.

Female workers are also provided with an option to extend their maternity leave for up to 30 days without pay (subject to agreement with one's employer if it can be charged against the employee's leave credits). 

Solo parents who are qualified have an additional 15 days paid leave (based on R.A. No. 8972 or the Solo Parents' Welfare Act of 2000). 

Another option provided by this law is the allocation of up to 7 days of maternity leave to the father of the child or any alternate caregiver that the mother elected. Personally, I wouldn't recommend that since it's tedious and some companies' HR are confused on how to apply this. 

With this new law, the benefits that qualified female members can claim could be as high as Php70,000 which is tax-free!

This took effect on March 11, 2019, and now with no limits on the number of births as opposed to the 4 childbirth limitation before.

Please note that since this post is intended for voluntarily paying and self-employed members, the most number of days is 105 for NSD and CS births and 60 days for miscarriage, ETP,  and stillbirth. 

What are the Qualifications to avail of this Benefit?

First, you have to be a female who has given birth recently, had a miscarriage or Emergency Termination of Pregnancy (you may file a claim up to 10 years from the child's birth or death).

Second, you have to be a paying SSS (Philippine Social Security System) member. Whether you work in the Private or Public Sector, Informal Economy or you're a Voluntarily Paying member.

Third, you have paid at least three monthly contributions within the year (12-month period) immediately preceding the semester of her childbirth or miscarriage.

And lastly, you have duly notified SSS of the pregnancy either through your employer or online.

What are the Steps and Requirements in Availing this Benefit from SSS?

Our focus is for those voluntarily paying or is self-employed so the steps and requirements are applicable to us. Employed female members can go directly to their HR department to get a checklist and provide what's asked of them. 

Here's what we need to do:

1. Notify SSS as soon as you discovered you are pregnant. No need to go to their office personally. Just submit the notification online either thru the SSS app or thru their official website. You must have a registered account to do this. Just visit their website at sss.gov.ph/.

          You can download the app thru:

• Google Playstore: https://bit.ly/SSSAndroid
• Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/SSSIOSv

2. Make sure your contributions are up to date. Remember, payments made during the semester of contingency are will not be included in the benefit computation.

3. After giving birth, prepare all the requirements, and submit it to the nearest SSS branch. As of writing, some SSS branch that is open has drop boxes outside where you can leave your maternity reimbursement application. I'll update this post if, soon, SSS converts filing for reimbursement online too.

4. Wait for your application to be approved and disbursed to your accounts.

Click here are the requirements you need to prepare:

How much would I receive once approved?

1. Check your semester of contingency. That period is excluded in the computation, so any payments made during your semester of contingency will not be used to compute for your final maternity benefit.

2. Count 12 months back from your semester of contingency. You must have at least three months' contribution within this period. 

3. Select the highest six-monthly salary credits.

4. Divide the total monthly salary credit by 180 to get the average daily salary credit.

5. Multiply the result by 105 days (120 days for Solo Parents, 60 days for miscarriage/ETP).

**Your monthly salary credit depends on how much your monthly contribution is. You may refer to the table below for your guidance:

Click here for a sample computation of the maternity benefit.

Did you find this post helpful? If so, please share this with your daily and friends who might be interested too. Don't hesitate to drop a comment if you have any questions that may know how to answer. Thanks.