SSS Miscarriage Filing Guide
No MAT-1 Before Miscarriage: Can You Still File?
What to do if the miscarriage happened before you filed Maternity Notification, including the current filing route, documents, member-type differences, and common special cases.
Quick answer
Do not stop your claim just because MAT-1 was not filed before the miscarriage.
A missing Maternity Notification is important because SSS still lists pregnancy notification as a qualifying condition. But a miscarriage can happen suddenly, sometimes before a member had a realistic chance to complete the notification.
The practical next step is to check your contribution qualification, prepare the required medical proof, and follow the correct filing route for your member type. If the missing notification cannot be resolved through the normal online flow, the case may need review by your employer or SSS.
This page does not treat a late or missing MAT-1 as automatically approved. It shows you what can still be done and what SSS will normally need to evaluate the maternity claim.
What does “MAT-1” mean today?
“MAT-1” is the older/common term many members still use for the SSS Maternity Notification.
The purpose is to notify the employer or SSS that the member is pregnant. For employed members, the member informs the employer and the employer transmits the notification to SSS. Self-employed, voluntary, non-working spouse, and OFW members notify SSS directly.
What to do if the miscarriage already happened
Work through these in order. The missing notification is only one part of the maternity claim.
Use the actual miscarriage month
Your qualifying period is based on when the miscarriage or pregnancy-loss event actually happened, not the original expected delivery date.
Check whether you meet the contribution requirement
SSS generally requires at least three qualifying monthly contributions in the correct 12-month period before the semester of contingency.
Prepare the medical documents before filing
For miscarriage, ETP, ectopic pregnancy, or H-mole, SSS normally needs documents from three separate evidence groups. See the checklist below.
Check the Maternity Notification status
Confirm whether a notification was ever transmitted by your employer or recorded in your SSS account. Do not assume it is missing until you check.
File through the route that applies to your member type
Current SSS maternity benefit applications and employer reimbursement applications are generally filed online through My.SSS.
If the missing notification blocks the normal process, have the case reviewed
Employees should coordinate with HR/employer. Direct-filing members should use the SSS channel available to them. A missing notification should not be guessed away or treated as automatically accepted.
Who should handle the filing?
Your member type does not change the basic contribution requirement. It changes who handles the notification, application, and payment route.
| Member situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Employee | Inform HR/employer immediately. Confirm whether a Maternity Notification was transmitted. The employer normally handles the employer-side maternity process and advances the SSS maternity benefit when the claim is valid. |
| Kasambahay | Coordinate with the household employer for employer-handled notification and maternity processing. |
| Self-Employed / Voluntary / NWS | Check the notification and maternity application functions in your own SSS account and prepare the medical documents for direct filing. |
| OFW | Check the direct SSS notification/application route. If the event or documents are from abroad, foreign medical documents may need English translation when applicable. |
| Separated / unemployed after employment | Additional separation documents may be required, especially when the miscarriage occurred during employment or within six months after separation. |
Miscarriage documents: the 3 groups SSS checks
For miscarriage, ETP, ectopic pregnancy, or hydatidiform mole, do not think of the requirement as “one medical certificate.” The usual SSS document set has three separate groups.
Group 1
Proof of pregnancy
Any applicable proof such as:
- Physician/municipal-health-officer-signed pregnancy test result
- Ultrasound with physician-signed report
- Blood pregnancy test / Beta HCG
- Early Pregnancy Factor
Group 2
Proof of termination of pregnancy
Any applicable physician-signed proof such as:
- Pregnancy test result
- Ultrasound result
- Histopathological report
- Operating Room Record (ORR)
Group 3
Physician-signed medical document
- Medical Certificate
- Records of Consultation
- Clinical Abstract / Discharge Summary
Important document details
- Locally issued medical documents should show the physician’s name and PRC license number.
- Electronically issued local medical documents may need the Official Receipt for the procedure.
- Foreign medical documents should include English translation when applicable.
- SSS asks for clear colored scans of the original or certified true copy with good image quality when submitting supporting documents online.
Common document questions
Do I need an ultrasound?
Not necessarily. Ultrasound is one accepted option, but SSS also lists other forms of proof of pregnancy and termination.
Is a Medical Certificate enough by itself?
Usually no. A Medical Certificate can satisfy the medical-document group, but you still need acceptable proof of pregnancy and proof of termination.
Is a histopathology report mandatory?
No. It is one of the accepted options for proof of termination. It is not the only option.
Can a discharge summary be used?
Yes, a Clinical Abstract / Discharge Summary is one of the accepted medical-document options. It does not automatically replace the separate proof-of-pregnancy and proof-of-termination groups.
Do I need a Certificate of Fetal Death for miscarriage?
A Certificate of Fetal Death is the documentary route used for stillbirth / fetal death. The miscarriage/ETP/ectopic/H-mole document set is different.
What about MAT-2?
Members still commonly say “MAT-2,” but the current SSS filing terminology is:
Since September 2021, SSS states that MBA/MBRA filing is done online through My.SSS. So do not delay your case because you are looking for an old MAT-2 process that may no longer match the current online filing workflow.
Special situations
The miscarriage happened before I even confirmed the pregnancy
Focus first on whether your doctor/hospital records can provide acceptable proof of pregnancy and proof of termination. The missing notification then needs to be handled as part of the filing review.
I told HR, but I do not know if HR transmitted the notification
Ask HR/employer to confirm whether the Maternity Notification was submitted to SSS. Do not automatically treat this as the same situation as never notifying the employer.
I resigned after the miscarriage
A member can have a direct-payment situation after separation. Additional separation documents may be required depending on when the contingency occurred relative to employment and separation.
I was already separated when the miscarriage happened
If you were previously employed, SSS may require a Certificate of Separation from Employment when the contingency occurred during employment or within six months from separation, together with the applicable statement that no advance maternity payment was granted.
The miscarriage happened abroad
Foreign medical documents should have English translation when applicable. Current SSS guidance says embassy/consular authentication or apostille is not required for these supporting medical documents.
It has already been several months or years
SSS states that maternity benefit applications may be filed within 10 years from the date of delivery, miscarriage, or ETP. A long delay can still create document or record issues, so prepare the complete evidence before filing.
After you submit the claim
Pending / under review
Check what happens while SSS is reviewing the miscarriage claim.
Approval waiting-time guide →Rejected / denied
Read the rejection reason before resubmitting or correcting anything.
Denied-claim guide →Frequently asked questions
Can I still file if MAT-1 was not filed before miscarriage?
You should not automatically abandon the claim. Check the contribution requirement, prepare the complete miscarriage documents, and address the missing notification through the proper employer/SSS filing route. SSS still treats maternity notification as a qualifying condition, so approval should not be assumed.
Can MAT-1 and the maternity claim be handled after the miscarriage?
The official SSS maternity page explains the notification requirement and the online MBA/MBRA process, but it does not state a blanket rule that every late notification is automatically accepted. If no notification was recorded before the event, treat it as a case that may need SSS or employer review.
Can I file the miscarriage claim online?
Current SSS guidance states that MBA/MBRA filing is online through My.SSS. If your case cannot proceed normally because of the missing notification or another special circumstance, follow the review instruction shown by SSS or coordinate with the appropriate employer/SSS channel.
What if I have fewer than three qualifying contributions?
The missing MAT-1 is then not the only issue. The maternity benefit also requires at least three qualifying monthly contributions in the correct period.
Is miscarriage benefit still 60 days?
Yes. SSS uses a 60-day maternity benefit period for miscarriage or ETP, including stillbirth.
Check your miscarriage case before filing
Use the miscarriage calculator and claim checker to find your qualifying period, estimate the possible 60-day benefit, and see the next step based on your filing status.