SSS Funeral Benefit Guidance Tool

SSS Funeral Benefit Calculator & Claim Guide 2026

If someone passed away, start here. This tool helps the family identify who should probably apply, what documents are still missing, how much SSS may pay, and where to file.

You do not need to know everything before starting. If something is still unknown, the guide will tell you what to check next.

What most families need first:
Registered death certificate · deceased member's SSS number or proof of membership · proof of funeral expenses · the right person to apply.

Step 1

✓ Completed

Who should apply for the Funeral Benefit?

Start with who actually paid the funeral expenses. The person using this guide does not have to be the person who will file the claim.

Step 2

✓ Completed

What does the family already have?

Tick what is already ready. Anything missing will be carried into the final action plan.

Step 3

✓ Completed

How much might SSS pay?

If you do not know the contribution count or exact funeral cost yet, continue anyway. The result will tell you what still needs to be confirmed.

A prepaid plan does not automatically remove the SSS Funeral Benefit. The plan details mainly change which proof to prepare.

Certification of Availment for the SSS Funeral Benefit

Choose the document you actually have. The tool will explain what SSS normally expects for that route.
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Use only the amount covered by the receipt, certification, memorial-plan proof, or spouse route selected above.
Optional: get a closer 36+ estimate

Skip this if the contribution history is not available. The ₱20,000–₱60,000 range is enough to continue the claim guide.

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Accuracy note: a recent MSC or salary is only a rough proxy. Official AMSC based on the member's contribution history can produce a different amount.

Funeral Benefit estimate

Amount pending

SSS Funeral Benefit

Separate SSS benefit

The family may also qualify for an SSS Death Benefit

The Funeral Benefit is only one SSS claim. Qualified beneficiaries may also have a separate Death Benefit claim that can be a monthly pension or lump sum, depending on the member's record and beneficiary rules.

Check if the Family Also Qualifies Separate claim. Eligibility and the final amount are determined by SSS.
Optional partner offer

Need some flexibility while the SSS claims are being processed?

The Funeral Benefit and Death Benefit are separate claims that still need to be completed, reviewed and approved. If you also have eligible short-term household expenses to manage in the meantime, you can check whether you qualify for a UnionBank credit card.

Check If You Qualify in 1–2 Minutes Optional partner offer. Separate from SSS and not required for any SSS claim. Approval is subject to UnionBank requirements. Consider repayment costs before using credit.

Step 4

✓ Completed

Prepare the documents for the person who will apply

The checklist changes according to who will apply, the spouse situation, payment proof and whether the death happened abroad.

Personalized document checklist

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Tick what the family already has. Missing items will be carried into the final action plan.

Step 5

✓ Completed

Where should the person apply?

If the person applying has their own SSS number and the online setup is ready, they can use My.SSS. If they do not have their own SSS number, they file at an SSS branch.

This is the applicant's own SSS number — not the deceased member's SSS number.

Step 6

✓ Completed

Prepare the filing route

Complete the preparation for the filing route selected in Step 5.

DAEM setup and troubleshooting

Use this guide if the payout account still needs enrollment, approval, or troubleshooting. After fixing it in My.SSS, return here and mark the setup status below.

See How to Set Up DAEM

Opens in a new tab so your Funeral Claim Guide progress stays on this page.

Open My.SSS

Update the setup status

You can continue even if these are still pending. They will stay in the family's final action plan until completed.

Before going to the SSS branch

Bring the documents you completed in Step 4, plus the over-the-counter items below. My.SSS and DAEM are not required for this branch-filing route.

SSS still needs payment-destination details for an over-the-counter claim even though DAEM is not used for this route.

Branch-visit checklist

Bring originals for checking and the required photocopies. Keep the Step 4 document set together with these branch-filing items.

See Official SSS Funeral Benefit Requirements

Your family's SSS benefit plan

What to do next

Follow the actions in order. Use this as the family checklist. Another family member can still help even when someone else should file the claim.

Print this family plan or choose Save as PDF in your browser's print dialog.

How much is the SSS Funeral Benefit in 2026?

1 to 35 paid contributions

Computed funeral benefit due is a fixed ₱12,000.

36 or more contributions

Variable benefit from ₱20,000 to ₱60,000, depending on total paid contributions and AMSC.

The computed benefit due is a ceiling. The funeral benefit is reimbursement of accepted funeral expenses and cannot exceed the supported amount actually claimable.

SSS Funeral Benefit formula

For 36 or more paid contributions:
₱20,000 + (0.5% × number of paid contributions × AMSC)
Minimum: ₱20,000 · Maximum: ₱60,000

The number of paid contributions is the total contributions paid up to the month of death. This is different from benefits that use only a recent contribution window.

How SSS determines AMSC for Funeral Benefit

Under Circular No. 2023-009, AMSC is the higher of:

  1. the sum of the last 60 MSCs immediately preceding the semester of death divided by 60; or
  2. the sum of all MSCs paid before the semester of death divided by the number of monthly contributions paid in that same period.

For Regular SSS benefit computation, the current maximum MSC considered is ₱20,000. MSC above that level belongs to the separate MPF / MySSS Pension Booster component.

Who can apply for the SSS Funeral Benefit?

The Funeral Benefit is generally filed by the person who actually paid the funeral expenses, subject to the SSS order of priority.

  1. Surviving legal spouse
  2. Child, parent or another natural person who can present proof of payment, when the applicable conditions concerning the surviving legal spouse are met.

Disqualification rule: Circular No. 2023-009 states that a person applying who is proven responsible for the death of the member or pensioner is not qualified for the Funeral Benefit and may be required to return already-settled proceeds.

What funeral expenses can be considered?

The revised SSS guidelines list expenses such as:

  • Embalming services
  • Burial transfer services and permits
  • Funeral services, including applicable church/religious service fees
  • Cremation or interment services
  • Purchase or rental of coffin
  • Purchase or rental of niche, cemetery or memorial lot, or columbarium
  • Payment for a memorial/funeral insurance plan

What proof of funeral expenses is needed?

The funeral benefit is reimbursement, so proof of payment matters.

If someone other than the surviving legal spouse will apply, the official receipt generally needs to be in that person's name and identify the deceased member/pensioner, with applicable supporting documents concerning the spouse and who should apply first.

The surviving legal spouse may use the alternative proof/certification route allowed by the revised SSS guidelines when applicable.

Basic Funeral Benefit requirements

Depending on the claim, SSS may require:

  • Proof establishing the deceased person's SSS membership
  • Registered death certificate / applicable official death record
  • Proof that the person applying paid the funeral expenses
  • Marriage certificate, CENOMAR, waiver, affidavit or other priority documents when applicable
  • Additional documents for special cases such as death abroad

Always use the current official checklist because the exact requirement depends on the deceased member's civil status, the applicant's relationship to the deceased, place of death and available proof of payment.

Can the Funeral Benefit be filed online?

Yes, when the person applying has their own SSS number and meets the online prerequisites. A person applying without their own SSS number generally files over the counter at an SSS branch.

Online prerequisites

  • SS number and registered My.SSS account
  • Approved disbursement account enrolled through DAEM
  • Supporting files prepared as image/PDF; the current public SSS guide states a 2 MB maximum per uploaded document

Basic online flow

  1. Log in to My.SSS.
  2. Open Funeral Claim under Benefits.
  3. Enter the deceased member's identifying and death details.
  4. Enter the applicant's relationship to the deceased and select the DAEM disbursement account.
  5. Upload the applicable supporting documents.
  6. Submit the certification and monitor the email/application notice.

Having a UMID card is no longer an online-filing prerequisite. The current SSS Funeral Benefit guide lists an approved DAEM account as an online prerequisite, while an eligible UMID card enrolled as ATM may still be used for benefit crediting when applicable.

Open My.SSS

How long do you have to file?

Under SSS Circular No. 2023-009, applications for funeral benefit should generally be filed within 10 years from the month of death of the member or pensioner.

What if more than one person paid funeral expenses?

The revised guidelines provide rules when more than one person paid. If two or more qualified people who paid the funeral expenses file at the same time, payment may be pro-rated.

If a balance remains after payment to the first qualified person, another qualified person who paid may also be paid, but not beyond the remaining Funeral Benefit due.

Work-related death: EC Funeral Benefit is separate

If the death is compensable under the Employees' Compensation Program, there may also be an EC Funeral Benefit of ₱30,000. That is a separate EC benefit and should not be confused with this Social Security Funeral Benefit calculator.

EC eligibility depends on whether the death is work-related and compensable under EC rules.

Frequently asked questions

No. ₱60,000 is the maximum computed benefit for members/pensioners with at least 36 contributions. The actual computed amount depends on paid contributions and AMSC, and reimbursement cannot exceed accepted funeral expenses.

If the deceased had at least one but fewer than 36 paid monthly contributions up to the month of death, the current computed funeral benefit due is fixed at ₱12,000.

No. A qualified person can still apply even without their own SSS number, but the filing channel is different. A person with their own SSS number may use the online route when the requirements are ready, while someone without their own SSS number files over the counter.

No. Funeral Benefit reimburses qualified funeral expenses. Death Benefit is a separate SSS benefit paid to qualified beneficiaries as monthly pension or lump sum depending on the deceased member's contribution history and beneficiary status.

For 36 or more paid contributions, it uses AMSC rather than simply current salary. AMSC is determined from the member's SSS contribution record under the official funeral-benefit formula.

SSS uses the higher of two averages: the last 60 MSCs immediately before the semester of death divided by 60, or all MSCs paid before that semester divided by the number of contributions in the same period. A recent MSC or last salary is therefore only a rough proxy for AMSC.

A prepaid memorial/funeral plan can still count as an allowable funeral expense under current SSS rules. SSS may accept the applicable Certification of Availment from the memorial/insurance plan company in lieu of an ordinary Official Receipt, with additional proof depending on whether the plan was in the deceased member's or the name of the person applying. The Funeral Benefit is still limited to the lower of the computed SSS benefit and the accepted supported funeral expense.

Independent calculator

This calculator estimates the benefit from the values you enter. It cannot verify official contribution history, AMSC, who should apply first, funeral-expense documentation, or final SSS approval.

Official references

Official SSS Funeral Benefit Guide SSS Circular 2023-009 — Revised Funeral Benefit Guidelines

Rules reviewed September 16, 2026. SSS' current Circular list shows Circular No. 2023-009 remains the funeral-specific program guideline; no newer funeral-specific circular is listed for 2024-2026.

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