SSS Employees' Compensation (EC) 2026: Claiming for Work-Related Illness or Injury
Quick Answer: SSS Employees' Compensation (EC) is a separate, employer-funded program that pays for work-related sickness, injury, disability, or death — not everyday illness. It covers a daily income benefit (₱110–₱480, up to 240 days), medical/hospital reimbursement, disability pensions, and a ₱30,000 funeral benefit. You need proof the condition is work-connected (an accident report or, for sickness, a listed occupational disease or "increased risk" evidence), and you must file within 3 years. Employers must log every work-related sickness, injury, or death within 5 days.
Table of Contents
- What is SSS Employees' Compensation (EC)?
- Who is covered by EC?
- What counts as a work-related injury or illness?
- What benefits does EC pay?
- How much is the EC daily income benefit?
- Can you claim EC and your regular SSS sickness or disability benefit at the same time?
- How does medical reimbursement work?
- What is the employer's logbook requirement?
- What are the deadlines?
- What documents do you need?
- How do you apply, step by step?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
What is SSS Employees' Compensation (EC)?
The Employees' Compensation Program (ECP) is a government insurance program, run jointly by SSS (private sector) and GSIS (government sector) under the oversight of the Employees' Compensation Commission (ECC), that pays benefits when a covered worker suffers a work-connected sickness, injury, disability, or death. It is funded entirely by a separate employer-only contribution — you don't pay into it yourself — and it exists alongside your regular SSS membership, not in place of it.
EC is not the same fund as your regular SSS sickness or disability benefit, and it's not PhilHealth either. It's specifically for contingencies your employer's own duty of care is meant to cover: an accident on the job, an illness caused by your working conditions, or a death arising from either. Full program details are on sss.gov.ph/employees-compensation-program and ecc.gov.ph.
Who is covered by EC?
EC coverage is compulsory for most private-sector SSS members under 60, and it starts automatically alongside your regular SSS coverage — there's no separate enrollment step.
| Member type | EC coverage starts |
|---|---|
| Employees (including kasambahay/household helpers) | First day of employment |
| Self-employed SSS members | First EC contribution payment (self-employed members have been covered under EC since September 2020) |
| Sea-based OFWs | Covered under EC as SSS members |
| Land-based OFWs, voluntary members | Generally not covered by EC unless registered as self-employed and paying EC contributions |
The EC contribution itself is small and paid only by the employer, on top of the regular SS contribution split: ₱10/month if your Monthly Salary Credit (MSC) is below ₱15,000, or ₱30/month if your MSC is ₱15,000 or higher. It's never deducted from your pay. Source: sss.gov.ph/employees-compensation-program.
What counts as a work-related injury or illness?
An injury is compensable if it results from an accident "arising out of and in the course of employment" — SSS and ECC recognize this in situations including:
- At the workplace, during work hours, doing your job
- While carrying out official duties, even away from your usual workplace, if following employer instructions
- Commuting in a company-provided shuttle or vehicle
- At an employer-sponsored activity (company events, training, team building)
- Attending to personal necessities on work premises during a work break
Benefits are denied if the injury resulted from intoxication, willful intent to injure yourself or others, or notorious negligence on your part.
A sickness is compensable if it's on the ECC's official list of occupational and work-related diseases (Annex A) — around 32 conditions such as pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchial asthma, pneumonia, pneumoconiosis, asbestosis, occupational deafness, and cardiovascular disease, each with its own specific work-exposure conditions that must be met. If your illness isn't on that list, it can still be compensable under the "theory of increased risk" — you (or your doctor) show evidence that your working conditions increased your risk of contracting it. This is exactly how ECC recognized COVID-19 as a compensable illness in 2021 for workers who could show workplace exposure, even though it wasn't on the original list. Source: ecc.gov.ph FAQs and ECC Board Resolution 21-04-14.
What benefits does EC pay?
EC's benefit package is broader than the regular SSS sickness or disability benefit — it's built to cover the full cost of a work-related contingency, not just lost income.
| Benefit | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Temporary Total Disability (TTD) income benefit | Daily cash allowance while you can't work, up to 120 days (extendable to 240 days if still under medical treatment) |
| Permanent Total/Partial Disability (PTD/PPD) | Monthly pension (PTD) or lump sum/pension based on a disability schedule (PPD); minimum EC monthly pension is ₱2,000 in the private sector |
| Medical services, appliances, and supplies | Reimbursement of medicine, hospital/surgical expenses, and appliances (crutches, prosthetics, etc.) through DOH-accredited providers |
| Rehabilitation services | Physical restoration, vocational assessment/training, counseling, and job placement assistance |
| Carer's allowance | ₱1,000/month for permanently and totally disabled pensioners who need assistance with daily living |
| EC monthly pension supplement | Additional ₱1,150/month for EC permanent disability and EC death pensioners (in effect since January 2017) |
| Death benefit | Monthly pension to primary beneficiaries, plus 10% of the pension per minor dependent child (maximum 5, counted from the youngest) |
| Funeral benefit | ₱30,000, paid on an EC-compensable death or the death of a permanently and totally disabled EC pensioner |
Sources: sss.gov.ph/employees-compensation-program, Executive Order No. 33 (funeral benefit increase).
How much is the EC daily income benefit?
The EC Temporary Total Disability (TTD) benefit uses the same underlying formula as the regular SSS sickness benefit — 90% of your Average Daily Salary Credit (ADSC) — but with its own floor and ceiling set by the Employees' Compensation Commission.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Formula | 90% of ADSC (sum of your 6 highest Monthly Salary Credits in the 12 months before the semester of contingency, divided by 180) |
| Minimum daily rate | ₱110.00 |
| Maximum daily rate | ₱480.00 (based on the highest possible Total Monthly Salary Credit under SSS law) |
| Maximum duration | 120 days per contingency, extendable to 240 days if you still need medical treatment |
These floor-and-ceiling figures come from ECC Board Resolution No. 15-05-22, which raised the old ₱10–₱200 range to the current ₱110–₱480 range. We could not find a more recent SSS/ECC circular superseding this rate as of July 2026 — confirm the current figure with SSS if your claim date is far in the future. One practical difference from the regular sickness benefit: the EC page notes that your company's paid sick leave credits do not need to be exhausted first before you can avail of the EC sickness/TTD benefit.
Can you claim EC and your regular SSS sickness or disability benefit at the same time?
EC and the regular SSS sickness, disability, and death benefits are two separate funds, and the coordination between them depends on the type of claim.
For sickness or short-term disability, a work-related case is generally routed through EC instead of the regular SSS sickness benefit — as covered in our SSS sickness benefit guide, work-related cases go through Employees' Compensation, not the regular fund, for that same period. The EC track has different rules (no requirement to exhaust company sick leave first), so don't assume the regular sickness benefit process applies.
For permanent disability and death, coordination is layered: EC adds its own components — the ₱1,150 monthly supplement, the ₱2,000 EC pension floor — specifically to work-connected cases, and filing a regular SSS disability or death claim within the EC's 3-year window stops the EC prescriptive period rather than closing it off. That detail (from ecc.gov.ph) suggests the two claims are meant to be filed together rather than treated as strictly either/or, but guidance on the exact combined computation varies across sources we checked. If your case involves permanent disability or death, file both the EC claim and your regular disability/death benefit paperwork with SSS and let their Employees' Compensation unit determine your entitlement — don't assume you're limited to only one. See our SSS disability benefit guide and SSS funeral and death benefit guide for how the regular-fund side works.
How does medical reimbursement work?
EC's medical benefit reimburses costs like medicine, hospital and surgical expenses, and appliances — but the reimbursement request is generally processed only after your related EC claim (sickness, injury, disability, or death) has already been approved by SSS. Keep every official receipt for medicine, hospital bills, and supplies from the time of the accident or diagnosis, because you'll need them to support the reimbursement filing once your underlying EC claim clears.
In practice, this means you (or your employer, if it advanced the cost) typically pay first and get reimbursed later, rather than EC settling the bill directly with the hospital the way PhilHealth's case rates do. If a work injury also involves a denied HMO claim — for example, your company HMO disputes coverage because the incident happened on the job — see our guide to what to do when an HMO claim is denied for the appeals process on that separate front.
What is the employer's logbook requirement?
Every employer covered by EC is legally required to keep a logbook recording every work-related sickness, injury, or death among their employees, chronologically, within 5 days of being notified of the contingency. The logbook has no fixed government-issued format, but it must record the employee's name, the date and place of the contingency, its nature, and the number of days the employee was absent from work. The employer must then submit the recorded entries to SSS (or GSIS for government employees) within that same 5-day window.
This isn't just paperwork — a certified copy of the relevant logbook page is one of the documents ECC/SSS requires with most EC claims. If an employer fails to record an actual work-related sickness, injury, or death in the logbook as required, they can be held liable for 50% of the lump sum equivalent of the income benefit the worker would have been entitled to under EC. Source: ECC — Reiterates Mandatory Maintenance of the EC Logbook, under Presidential Decree No. 626. If your employer has no logbook or refuses to log your case, that's worth raising directly with SSS when you file, since it affects your claim's documentation.
What are the deadlines?
| Situation | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Employer logbook entry and submission to SSS/GSIS | Within 5 days of due notice of the sickness, injury, or death |
| EC claim filing (sickness) | Within 3 years from the last confinement, or the last day the employee was unable to work due to the illness |
| EC claim filing (injury) | Within 3 years from the date of the accident |
| EC claim filing (death) | Within 3 years from the date of death |
Filing a regular SSS (or GSIS) disability or death benefit claim within this 3-year window also stops the EC prescriptive period from running, giving you some flexibility if you're unsure at first whether a case is work-connected. Source: sss.gov.ph/employees-compensation-program and ecc.gov.ph FAQs.
What documents do you need?
Required documents vary by claim type, but most EC claims share a common core.
| Document | When needed |
|---|---|
| Employer's Sickness/Accident Report | All EC claims |
| Certified copy of the employer's EC logbook entry | All EC claims |
| Medical certificate/records supporting work-connection | All EC claims |
| Police report | Vehicular or third-party-involved accidents |
| Disability claim application, medical certificate from attending physician, valid ID | Disability claims |
| Death certificate (PSA-registered), sworn statement, marriage/birth certificates of dependents | Death claims |
| Original official receipts for funeral expenses | Funeral benefit claims |
| Original receipts for medicine, hospital, and appliance costs | Medical reimbursement, filed after claim approval |
How do you apply, step by step?
If you're employed:
- Report the injury or illness to your employer within 5 days (or as soon as possible), so it gets logged.
- Get medical attention and keep every receipt and medical record from the start.
- Your employer completes the Employer's Sickness/Accident Report and logbook entry, then forwards it with your supporting documents to SSS.
- SSS evaluates work-connection — using the accident circumstances for injuries, or the Annex A list / increased-risk evidence for sickness — and approves or denies the EC claim.
- Once approved, file for medical reimbursement separately using your saved receipts, and for disability/death benefits if applicable.
If you're a self-employed SSS member:
- Report the injury or illness in the same way you'd notify SSS of a regular sickness claim, since there's no employer to route the report through.
- Gather medical records and receipts from the time of the incident or diagnosis.
- File directly with SSS through My.SSS, the SSS mobile app, or a branch, including proof of work-connection for your self-employed activity.
- Follow up with the medical reimbursement claim only after your EC claim is approved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Magkano ang SSS Employees' Compensation (EC) benefit?
The daily EC income benefit (TTD) is 90% of your Average Daily Salary Credit, with a floor of ₱110 and a ceiling of ₱480 per day, for up to 120 days (extendable to 240). Disability pensions have a ₱2,000/month floor plus a ₱1,150 supplement, and the funeral benefit is ₱30,000.
Sino ang covered ng SSS EC?
Private-sector employees (including kasambahay), sea-based OFWs, and self-employed SSS members are compulsorily covered, starting from your first day of employment or your first EC contribution payment as a self-employed member. It's employer-funded — you don't pay into it yourself.
What counts as work-related for EC purposes?
An injury counts if it results from an accident arising out of and in the course of your employment — at work, doing your job, following employer instructions, commuting via company transport, or at a company event. A sickness counts if it's on ECC's official list of 32 occupational diseases with its specific conditions met, or if you can show your working conditions increased your risk of getting it (the "increased risk theory," which is how COVID-19 was recognized as compensable in 2021).
Can I claim both EC and my regular SSS sickness or disability benefit?
For sickness, a work-related case generally goes through EC instead of the regular sickness benefit for that period. For permanent disability or death, EC adds specific components (the ₱1,150 supplement, ₱2,000 pension floor) on top of what a member may separately be entitled to under the regular fund — file both applications and let SSS determine your entitlement rather than assuming you can only claim one.
How long do I have to file an EC claim?
Three years — from your last confinement or inability to work (sickness), the date of the accident (injury), or the date of death (death claims). Filing a regular SSS disability or death claim within this window stops the EC clock.
Does my employer have to report my work injury or illness?
Yes. Employers must log every work-related sickness, injury, or death in an EC logbook within 5 days of being notified, and submit it to SSS within the same period. Failure to do so can make the employer liable for 50% of the lump sum equivalent of the income benefit you would have received.
How does EC medical reimbursement work?
You generally need to pay for medicine, hospital care, or appliances first and get reimbursed after your underlying EC claim (sickness, injury, disability, or death) has been approved by SSS — so keep all official receipts from day one, not just the ones you think you'll need.
Is EC the same as PhilHealth or my company HMO?
No. EC is a separate, employer-only-funded SSS program specifically for work-related contingencies. PhilHealth pays case rates against your hospital bill regardless of whether the condition is work-related, and your HMO is a private benefit with its own rules — see our guide on what to do if your HMO claim is denied if a workplace-injury claim gets disputed there.
Conclusion
EC exists specifically for the sickness, injury, disability, or death that happens because of your job — and it pays more broadly than the regular SSS sickness or disability benefit, covering medical costs and rehabilitation on top of income replacement. The trade-off is more documentation: you need your employer's accident report, a logged entry in their EC logbook, and proof of work-connection, all filed within 3 years. If your case isn't clearly work-related, or if your employer disputes it, file for the regular SSS sickness or disability benefit as a parallel track rather than waiting. For what to do about the hospital bill itself while your claim is pending, see our hospital bill assistance hub and medical loan options. You can also search for accredited hospitals and clinics near you on ClinicFinderPH.