Published: August 3, 2018 | Updated: October 30, 2020 | Posted by: Venus Zoleta | Government Services
It’s tough to suffer from a lasting disability due to an injury or illness. Aside from physical limitations, you can’t come back to work and earn a living. If you or a loved one is caught in such a situation, know that you may get financial support by claiming a disability pension in the Philippines.
Qualified government employees are entitled to GSIS disability benefits, while war veterans receive a disability pension from the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office. Private workers may qualify for disability benefits from the Social Security System (SSS).
Planning to apply for a disability pension from SSS? Read on to understand this lesser-known yet useful SSS benefit.
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Photo from Philippine Social Security System Facebook page
SSS provides a cash benefit to members with a total or partial permanent disability. The benefit is paid either as a monthly disability pension or a one-time lump sum benefit, depending on a member’s number of monthly SSS contribution payments.
In addition to the monthly pension, a disability pensioner can receive the following benefits:
Photo from Philippine Social Security System Facebook page
An SSS member with a partial or total permanent disability must have paid at least one-month SSS contribution before the semester of disability.
SSS defines partial disability as a complete and permanent loss of a certain body part. The condition doesn’t totally prevent a person from doing his or her job. Partial disabilities that qualify for SSS benefits include the loss of any of these parts and senses:
Only SSS members who are totally and permanently disabled are entitled to a monthly disability pension for life. However, SSS stops paying the pension in the following cases:
Up to five of a disability pensioner’s children below age 21 (conceived on or before disability) may receive PHP 250 or 10% of the SSS member’s monthly pension, whichever is higher.
When a pensioner dies, his or her primary beneficiaries will get the full monthly disability pension except for the supplemental allowance.
How much you’ll receive in monthly pension will depend on your SSS membership years and the number of contributions you’ve paid before the semester of disability.
Credited Years of Service | Minimum Monthly Disability Pension |
Less than 10 years | PHP 1,000 |
At least 10 years | PHP 1,200 |
At least 20 years | PHP 2,400 |
A qualified disability pensioner with 10 credited years of service receives the following SSS benefits per month:
Total monthly SSS disability benefits: PHP 1,200 + PHP 500 + PHP 1,150 = PHP 2,850
SSS uses different formulas for computing the lump sum amount for totally and partially disabled members:
Whichever of these formulas results in a higher amount:
Whichever of these formulas results in a higher amount:
Let’s say a partially disabled SSS member wants to claim his lump sum benefit. If he has 10 credited years of service, 40% disability (as determined by the SSS), and 30 paid monthly contributions, here’s the lump sum amount computation:
The higher amount from the two computations is PHP 14,400, which then becomes the lump sum benefit that the SSS member will receive.
SSS pays its members’ monthly disability pension and lump sum benefit through its 25 accredited banks in the Philippines, including the following:
If you have existing savings account with one of the SSS partner-banks, you can use that to receive your monthly disability pension. Otherwise, you need to open an account with an accredited bank and present the Letter of Introduction (LOI) form issued by the SSS.
To claim your disability benefits, submit these requirements at any SSS branch:
A supervising physician or medical specialist at the SSS branch will let you know if you should submit additional medical records to support your claim. The doctor will also conduct a physical examination and explain the details of the SSS disability benefit.
You can assign a representative to file a disability claim on your behalf if you can’t do it personally. For SSS members in the Philippines, a sketch of the residence or hospital of confinement is required. If you’re based abroad, SSS will need your physical examination report signed by your attending physician.
Usually, SSS takes one to two months to process a disability claim. Once SSS approves your claim, you’ll receive a notice about the actual disability pension amount and when you can withdraw it from the bank.
For more information about disability benefits, refer to this guide from the SSS. You may also contact SSS through email (member_relations@sss.gov.ph) or phone (920-6446 to 55 or 917-7777).
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Venus is the Head of Content at Moneymax, with 15+ years of experience in digital marketing, corporate communications, PR, and journalism. She invests in stocks, mutual funds, VUL, and Pag-IBIG MP2. Outside of work, she’s crazy about cats and Korean dramas. Follow Venus on LinkedIn.