Do you want to know how much can you get if you would like to avail yourself of the SSS Maternity Benefit?
To avail of the SSS Maternity Benefits, you should first check your SSS monthly contributions and ensure that you paid the required month.
The female member should pay at least three (3) monthly contributions to qualify for the SSS maternity benefit. However, those three (3) months should be within the twelve months before the Semester of Contingency.
What is the Semester of Contingency?
Contingency refers to the month of the childbirth/delivery, miscarriage, emergency termination of pregnancy (including stillbirths) of the female worker that will fall on.
The semester of Contingency refers to a period of two (2) consecutive quarters ending in the quarter of contingency.
A quarter of contingency refers to a period of three (3) consecutive calendar months ending on the last day of March, June, September, and December. There are four quarters of contingency in a year:
First Quarter of Contingency January 1 – March 31
Second Quarter of Contingency April 1 – June 30
Third Quarter of Contingency July 1 – September 30
Fourth Quarter of Contingency October 1 – December 31
Suppose the live childbirth, miscarriage, emergency termination of pregnancy falls on the months from January 1 to March 31. In that case, your semester of contingency will be from October of the prior year up to March.
For live childbirth, miscarriage, and emergency pregnancy termination in April, May, and June, your semester of contingency will be from January to June.
And if you gave birth or had a miscarriage or emergency pregnancy termination in July, August, and September, your semester of contingency will be from April to September.
And finally, if you gave birth or had a miscarriage or emergency pregnancy termination in October, November, and December, your semester of contingency will be from July to December.
It is said above that for a female worker to qualify for the SSS Maternity Benefits, she has to pay at least three (3) months of her monthly contribution within the twelve (12) months before her semester of contingency. So, if childbirth, miscarriage, and emergency pregnancy termination occur on the:
(Please refer to the legend):
First-quarter of contingency
Second-quarter of contingency
Third-quarter of contingency
Fourth-quarter of contingency
How to Compute Maternity Benefits?
The following pointers are necessary for the formula for computing the Maternity Benefit.
SSS Monthly Contributions
It is easy to determine your monthly contributions if you are a voluntary contributor because you will decide the amount to contribute monthly.
For a female worker who works for an employer, the monthly contribution reflected on the payslip is not the total amount paid to the SSS. The employer also shares a specific amount to pay the employee’s monthly contribution.
To compute the Maternity Benefit of the female worker, you have to determine how much is the total amount of the monthly contribution, including the amount paid by the employer and your Monthly Salary Credit.
SSS Monthly Salary Credit
Monthly Salary Credit is the compensation base for contributions and benefits as indicated in the schedule provided under the Security Law of 2018.
To determine the Monthly Salary Credit, you will be referring to the Updated SSS Contribution table or the SSS Contribution Schedule. There are five (5) tables in different categories, Table for Regular Employers and Employees, for Self-Employed members, for voluntary members and non-working Spouse, for household employers and kasambahay, and Table for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW).
For example, if you are a voluntary member and paying Php390.00 monthly contribution, your Monthly Salary Credit would be Php3000.00.
If you are an employee and your reflected monthly contribution on the payslip is Php135, your total monthly contribution would be Php400.00, the lowest monthly contribution for an employee, since your employer is paying the rest of Php265.00 as their share. Your Monthly Salary Credit would be Php3000.00. So approximately, your compensation ranges from Php3,250.00 and below.
And if your reflected monthly contribution on the payslip is Php1,125.00, your total monthly contribution would be Php3,280, the highest monthly contribution for an employee. Then your Monthly Salary Credit would be Php25,000, and your compensation ranges from Php24,750 and over. So supposing your compensation is Php40,000, your Monthly Salary Credit would also be Php25,000.
Important note. Always refer to the updated SSS Contribution Schedule.
Determine the Multiplier Depending on the Type of Pregnancy
Determine the Average Daily Salary Credit (ADSC)
To obtain Average Daily Salary Credit, divide the sum of the female member’s six (6) highest Monthly Salary Credit in the twelve months immediately preceding the semester of contingency by 180.
—–FORMULA—-
Average Daily Salary Credit (ADSC) = sum of the six (6) highest monthly salary credits within the necessary twelve months (excluding the semester of contingency) /180 days or equivalent to six (6) months
SSS Maternity Benefit = ADSC x multiplier (number of days depending on the type of pregnancy)
Step by Step on How to Compute SSS Maternity Benefit
1. Based on your monthly contribution, determine the highest six (6) monthly salary credits.
2. Get the Average Daily Salary Credit by adding the highest six (6) monthly salary credit and dividing it by 180.
3. Lastly, multiply the Average Daily Salary Credit by the approved duration of maternity leave.
—SAMPLE COMPUTATION—
Example 1:
From the given data above, if the voluntary member’s live childbirth, miscarriage, or emergency pregnancy termination occurred within the first quarter of contingency, January 1 to March 31, and paying Php390.00 monthly contribution, her Monthly Salary Credit from the required twelve (12) month period would be Php3,000.00.
—COMPUTATION—
Average Daily Salary Credit (ASDC) = 3000 + 3000 + 3000 + 3000 + 3000 + 3000 / 180
= 18,000 / 180
= Php100 per day
SSS Maternity Benefit for live childbirth
= 100 x 105 days
= Php10,500
SSS Maternity Benefit for miscarriage/emergency pregnancy termination
=100 x 60 days
= Php6,000
SSS Maternity Benefit for Solo parent
= 100 x 120 days
= Php12,000
Example 2: Regular Employee
Referring to the data given above, let us compute how much maternity benefit a female employee should get if she undergoes childbirth on the last quarter of contingency, October 1 – December 31.
According to the formula of getting the Average Daily Salary Credit (ASDC), get the sum of the six (6) highest Monthly Salary Credit.
—COMPUTATION—
Average Daily Salary Credit (ASDC) = 24,000 + 24,000 + 24,000 + 25,000 + 25,000 + 25,000 / 180
= 147,000 / 180
= Php816.6667 per day
SSS Maternity Benefit for live childbirth
= 816.6667 x 105 days
= Php85,750.00
SSS Maternity Benefit for miscarriage/emergency pregnancy termination
= 816.6667 x 60 days
= Php49,000.00
SSS Maternity Benefit for Solo parent
= 816.6667 x 120 days
= Php98,000.00
What is the Importance of the Maternity Benefit Computation?
It is the right of every Filipino Woman to know the benefits of the Government implemented Law, especially if such a Law is for the welfare of Filipino children and mothers. Understanding the Law is also significant as these Laws can affect our daily lives.
As SSS members, we also must know and understand the benefits we can get as contributors. There are many privileges you can avail yourself of as an SSS member, especially the female workers. However, it is imperative to know how you can avail of these privileges and how benefits came up in a specific amount to identify any differences and conflicts. If so, you can immediately address the dispute to the designated individual or agency.
How many pregnancy can a member avail of the maternity benefit?