SSS Maternity Questions & Answers

Hi mommy 😊 For EDD March 2027, ang qualifying period mo ay October 2025–September 2026.

Based sa sinabi mo, posted na ang May, June, July, August at September 2026 ✅, so mayroon ka nang 5 qualifying contributions. At least 3 lang ang kailangan para sa minimum qualification, so pasok ka na, provided valid at properly posted ang payments.

Kung April 2026 ang hindi talaga nabayaran, hindi na po ito puwedeng habulin ngayon as a Voluntary member. SSS says missed Voluntary contributions become gaps and retroactive payment is not allowed.

So mommy, hindi mo na kailangang habulin ang April para lang maka-qualify, dahil may 5 qualifying months ka na. 😊

🎥 March 2027 EDD guide:
https://youtu.be/Wk5uDmaHl4g?si=CWFjXwU72xBWm_fW

Hi mommy 😊 SSS Maternity Benefit po siya, hindi maternity loan. Hindi po ito kailangang bayaran pabalik.

Hi mommy 😊 Ganito po ang process para mag-apply ng SSS Maternity Benefit:

Habang pregnant pa: mag-file muna ng Maternity Notification (MAT-1).
Kung Employee, notify your employer/HR and sila ang mag-submit sa SSS.
Kung Voluntary / Self-Employed / OFW / NWS, puwede kang mag-file directly through My.SSS or SSS Mobile App.
After delivery: saka ka mag-file ng actual Maternity Benefit Application (MBA / dating tinatawag na MAT-2) through My.SSS, together with the required birth or medical documents. SSS maternity applications are filed online through My.SSS.
Make sure din na may approved DAEM disbursement account ka if SSS will pay you directly.

🎥 How to File SSS MAT-1 Online:
https://youtu.be/ackBt_sWnvY

If Employee ka, employer normally advances the maternity benefit; if Voluntary/Self-Employed or separated from employment, SSS can pay the approved benefit directly to you.

Hi mommy 😊 Since wala ka nang employer starting August, Voluntary na po ang appropriate membership type kung gusto mong ipagpatuloy ang sarili mong SSS contributions.

Hindi mo kailangang manatiling “Employee” just because iyon pa ang nakikita sa account. SSS says that a previously employed member who is already separated from employment may continue as Voluntary. When generating your PRN in My.SSS, choose “Voluntary” as the membership type; no supporting document is normally required just to make that change.

Yung mga contributions mo noong employed ka remain on your SSS record and can still be counted for MatBen if pasok sila sa qualifying period. Hindi sila mawawala dahil nag-change ka to Voluntary.

So mommy:

Before August → Employee contributions ✅
August onward, since wala ka nang employer → Voluntary ✅

If this is for your maternity benefit, send me your EDD, and I can tell you exactly which months is your qualifying period at kung may mga months kapa na pwede mahulugan.
SSS requires atleast 3 months posted contribution para ma qualify ka sa matben.

Hi mommy 😊 Kung EDD mo ay April 2027, ang qualifying period mo ay January–December 2026. Kaya July–December 2026 ✅ puwedeng counted sa MatBen mo.

Pero kung concern mo na baka maagang manganak, halimbawa March 2027, magbabago ang qualifying period to October 2025–September 2026. Ibig sabihin, July–September 2026 ✅ counted pa rin, pero October–December 2026 hindi na kasama.

👉 Kaya kung budget ang concern, priority mo muna ang July, August at September dahil counted sila whether March or April 2027 ka manganak. At least 3 qualifying contributions din ang minimum requirement. If kaya ng budget, puwede mong ituloy hanggang December para potentially mas tumaas ang MatBen kung April 2027 talaga ang actual delivery.

🎥 April 2027 EDD guide:
https://youtu.be/CC5tF-b0K40?si=47HvGO2y4FFDmEmh

Hi mommy 😊 Yes po, pasok pa ang July 2026 contribution kung babayaran mo ngayon, August 19. For Self-Employed members, ang July contribution may be paid on or before August 31, 2026.

For EDD March 2027, ang qualifying period mo ay October 2025–September 2026. Kaya:

July 2026 ✅
August 2026 ✅
September 2026 ✅

Kung wala ka pang ibang qualifying contributions, itong 3 months na ito can meet the minimum requirement, provided valid at properly posted sila. SSS requires at least 3 qualifying monthly contributions.

Important mommy: para maisama lahat sa March 2027 MatBen, make sure na mabayaran ang July, August, at September on or before September 30, 2026. ✅

So yes po, hindi ka pa late—pwede mo pang bayaran ang July ngayon.

🎥 March 2027 EDD guide:
https://youtu.be/Wk5uDmaHl4g?si=CWFjXwU72xBWm_fW

Hi mommy 😊 Yes po, puwede ka pa ring mag-file ng MAT-1 kahit finished na ang contract mo noong June 6 at September pa ang expected delivery mo.

For September 2026 delivery, ang qualifying period mo ay April 2025–March 2026. Kailangan may at least 3 valid contributions within that period para maka-qualify.

Kung qualified ka na based sa April 2025–March 2026 contributions, hindi mo kailangang maghulog ngayon para lang maka-qualify sa current MatBen. Pero kung gusto mong i-change ang status mo from Employee to Voluntary, puwede kang mag-generate ng PRN sa My.SSS at piliin ang Voluntary; once paid, magbabago ang membership type mo.

Since separated ka na, SSS can pay the maternity benefit directly to you after delivery once approved. Dahil June 6 lang ang separation mo at September ang delivery, prepare din ang Certificate of Separation and no advance payment in case hingin sa claim.

🎥 How to File SSS MAT-1 Online:
https://youtu.be/ackBt_sWnvY

Hi mommy 😊 Sa salary differential, hindi sa laki ng SSS contribution mismo nagba-base ang employer.

Ang basis po ay ang regular wage/salary mo for the entire maternity leave period, then ibabawas ang actual SSS maternity benefit na computed separately using your 6 highest MSCs. SSS itself defines salary differential as the difference between the SSS cash benefit and the employee’s regular wage for the whole maternity leave.

So simple version:

Full salary for maternity leave
minus SSS MatBen
= Salary Differential na sagot ng employer

Example mommy: kung ₱25,000/month ang regular salary mo, doon sila magba-base sa full-pay side. Yung SSS contributions mo naman ginagamit para malaman kung magkano ang SSS MatBen portion, hindi para direktang i-compute ang salary differential.

So yes po, basic/regular salary mo ang mas important sa salary differential, not simply kung magkano ang hulog mo sa SSS.

Pwede mo rin i-check dito mommy:
https://sssmaternitybenefitscalculator.com/

Hi po 😊 Since actual delivery was July 29, 2026, the 12-month qualifying period is April 2025–March 2026.

Based on the contributions you gave plus the assumption that your company properly posted her Dec 2025–Mar 2026 contributions based on the ₱25,000 salary, she appears to have at least 6 months reaching the ₱20,000 MSC maternity-benefit ceiling. SSS uses the 6 highest MSCs and caps the Regular SSS benefit computation at ₱20,000 MSC.

So estimated SSS MatBen for 105 days:

₱20,000 × 6 ÷ 180 × 105 = ₱70,000 ✅

For her current salary of ₱25,000/month:

Full pay for 105 days:
₱25,000 × 3.5 months = ₱87,500

Gross salary differential:
₱87,500 − ₱70,000 = ₱17,500

Under the maternity-leave rules, the employer generally shoulders the difference between full pay and the SSS benefit, unless the employer qualifies for an approved exemption.

So your working figures are approximately:

SSS MatBen: ₱70,000
Full pay: ₱87,500
Gross salary differential: ₱17,500

The final payroll salary differential may be slightly lower after the employee’s applicable SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG premium shares for the maternity period are considered under the DOLE computation.

The ₱11,500 prorated November salary should not reduce the ₱70,000 estimate because there appear to be more than six other qualifying months already reaching the ₱20,000 MSC ceiling.

Hi Mommy, depende po sa EDD mo kung may contribution ka sa mga qualifying period mo. We cannot check po if kulang ang information, If you can give us your EDD po and mga months na may contribution mo para macheck natin kung qualified po kayo.

Pwede mo rin i-check dito mommy:
https://sssmaternitybenefitscalculator.com/