SSS Funeral & Death Benefits 2026: Amounts, Requirements & How to Claim
Quick Answer: SSS pays two separate benefits when a member dies. The funeral benefit reimburses whoever paid for the funeral — ₱20,000 to ₱60,000 if the deceased had 36+ contributions, or a flat ₱12,000 for fewer. The death benefit goes to beneficiaries: a lifetime monthly pension if the member had 36+ contributions before the semester of death, or a one-time lump sum if not. File both through My.SSS or at an SSS branch, generally within 10 years of the death.
Table of Contents
- Funeral benefit vs. death benefit: what's the difference?
- How much is the SSS funeral benefit?
- Who can claim the funeral benefit?
- How much is the SSS death benefit?
- Who qualifies as a beneficiary?
- What documents do you need?
- How do you file, step by step?
- What's the filing deadline?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
Funeral benefit vs. death benefit: what's the difference?
These are two separate claims, and mixing them up is the most common source of confusion. The funeral benefit reimburses funeral expenses to whoever actually paid for them — it can be a spouse, a child, a sibling, or even a friend who covered the cost. The death benefit is a survivorship benefit paid only to the deceased member's qualified beneficiaries, either as a monthly pension or a lump sum.
You can — and usually should — file both. They're funded and computed differently, use different application forms on My.SSS, and have different qualified claimants. A funeral benefit claim does not automatically trigger a death benefit claim, or vice versa; each has to be filed on its own. Full program details for each are on sss.gov.ph/funeral-benefit and sss.gov.ph/death-benefit.
How much is the SSS funeral benefit?
The funeral benefit is a reimbursement, not a fixed grant — SSS pays back documented funeral costs up to a computed ceiling. As of the enhanced guidelines effective October 20, 2023 (still current as of July 2026, per sss.gov.ph):
| Contributions before death | Funeral benefit |
|---|---|
| 36 or more monthly contributions | Variable, ₱20,000 to ₱60,000, based on paid contributions and average monthly salary credit (AMSC) |
| At least 1 but fewer than 36 monthly contributions | Flat ₱12,000 |
Because it's a reimbursement, SSS pays whichever is lower: your actual documented funeral expense, or your computed benefit amount. If your funeral cost ₱30,000 against a ₱50,000 computed maximum, you receive ₱30,000, not the full ₱50,000. Covered expenses include embalming, burial transfer services and permits, funeral services (including church or equivalent religious fees), cremation or interment, purchase or rental of a coffin, purchase or rental of a niche, cemetery lot, or columbarium, and memorial or funeral insurance plans.
This SSS amount is separate from the GSIS funeral benefit, which government employees' survivors can claim instead — GSIS raised its own funeral benefit to ₱50,000 for deaths on or after July 13, 2026. A person is covered by one system or the other, not both, based on whether the deceased was an SSS or GSIS member.
Who can claim the funeral benefit?
Whoever defrayed (paid for) the funeral costs of a deceased SSS member, permanent total disability pensioner, or retirement pensioner is qualified to claim — this does not have to be a beneficiary or even a relative. If you paid the funeral home, cemetery, or crematorium out of pocket, you're the claimant, and you'll need an official receipt in your name (or the deceased's) to prove it.
How much is the SSS death benefit?
The death benefit goes to the member's qualified beneficiaries, not to whoever paid for the funeral. Which form it takes depends on how many contributions the member had posted before the semester of death.
| Contributions before semester of death | Benefit type |
|---|---|
| 36 or more monthly contributions | Monthly pension — a lifetime cash benefit to primary beneficiaries |
| Fewer than 36 monthly contributions | Lump sum — a one-time cash payment |
The monthly pension is calculated using the same formula SSS uses for retirement, taking the highest result of three formulas based on the member's AMSC and credited years of service (CYS), subject to minimums of ₱1,000 (under 10 years of service), ₱1,200 (10+ years), and ₱2,400 (20+ years), per sss.gov.ph/death-benefit. Pensioners also receive a 13th month pension every December, plus an additional ₱1,000 monthly supplement in effect since January 1, 2017. If the member has qualified minor dependent children, each gets a Dependent's Pension equal to 10% of the monthly pension or ₱250, whichever is higher — limited to five children, counted from the youngest, until age 21.
If there are no primary or secondary beneficiaries at all, the lump sum goes to the legal heirs under the Family Code's rules of succession.
Who qualifies as a beneficiary?
SSS ranks beneficiaries in order — a lower rank is only paid if no one in a higher rank exists.
| Rank | Who qualifies |
|---|---|
| Primary | Dependent spouse (until remarriage), and dependent legitimate, legitimated, legally adopted, or illegitimate children who are unmarried, not gainfully employed, and under 21 (or incapacitated regardless of age) |
| Secondary | Dependent parents, if there are no primary beneficiaries |
| Designated / legal heirs | A beneficiary named in the member's SSS records, or — absent that — legal heirs under Family Code succession rules |
Only primary beneficiaries can receive the monthly pension. Secondary and designated beneficiaries receive a lump sum only, even if the deceased had 36+ contributions.
What documents do you need?
Requirements vary slightly by claimant type, but expect to prepare the following as a baseline.
| For the funeral benefit | For the death benefit |
|---|---|
| Proof of the deceased's SSS membership | Death Claim Application form |
| PSA-registered (or Local Civil Registry) death certificate | PSA-registered death certificate |
| Official receipt showing you paid the funeral expenses | Valid ID with biometric data (e.g., UMID) |
| Marriage certificate (if spouse is claiming) or certificate of non-marriage | Marriage certificate (spouse) or birth certificates (children) as applicable |
| — | Disbursement account details (UMID-ATM, bank, or e-wallet) |
| — | Medical certificate, if a claimed child is incapacitated |
If someone files on a beneficiary's behalf, they'll need a Letter of Authority or Special Power of Attorney, executed within 6 months if signed in the Philippines or 1 year if signed abroad.
How do you file, step by step?
If you're an SSS member-claimant (online, via My.SSS):
- Make sure you have an SS number and are registered on the SSS website, with your disbursement account enrolled through DAEM (Disbursement Account Enrollment Module).
- Log in to My.SSS and select Funeral Claim or Death Claim under the Benefits tab, as applicable.
- Upload proof of the deceased's SSS membership, the PSA death certificate, and the relevant supporting documents listed above.
- Submit and track the claim status through your My.SSS account.
If you're not registered as a member-claimant (over-the-counter):
- Gather the same documents required above.
- File in person at any SSS branch office.
- The branch will verify your documents and process the claim.
Funeral benefit payouts are credited to the claimant's UMID card enrolled as an ATM, or to a preferred account through DAEM if no UMID-ATM is on file. Death benefit payouts follow the beneficiary's registered disbursement account.
What's the filing deadline?
SSS money claims, including funeral and death benefits, generally prescribe 10 years from the date of the contingency — in this case, the month of the member's death — under Section 24(j) of RA 11199 (the Social Security Act of 2018). Filing well before that window closes is still strongly advised: for the funeral benefit specifically, delays make it harder to produce original receipts and documentation, and for the death pension, late filing can affect how much of the benefit is paid retroactively. Neither sss.gov.ph program page states this deadline explicitly on the page itself, so if your case is close to that window, confirm the exact cutoff with an SSS branch before you file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Magkano ang SSS funeral benefit ngayong 2026?
₱20,000 to ₱60,000 kung 36 or more ang naibayad na contributions ng namatay bago siya pumanaw, base sa dami ng contributions at average monthly salary credit. ₱12,000 flat naman kung 1 to 35 lang ang contributions. Ito ay reimbursement, kaya kung mas mababa ang aktwal mong nagastos sa libing kaysa sa computed amount, ang mas mababang halaga ang ibabayad sa iyo.
Paano kunin ang SSS burial o funeral benefit?
Kailangan mong ipakita na ikaw ang nagbayad ng gastos sa libing — hindi mo kailangang maging kamag-anak o beneficiary. Mag-file online sa My.SSS (kung SSS member-claimant ka at naka-enroll sa DAEM) o pumunta sa pinakamalapit na SSS branch, dala ang proof of SSS membership ng namatay, PSA death certificate, at official receipt ng bayad sa libing.
What's the difference between SSS funeral benefit and SSS death benefit?
The funeral benefit reimburses whoever paid for the funeral — up to ₱60,000. The death benefit is a separate claim paid only to the deceased's qualified beneficiaries (spouse, children, or parents), either as a lifetime monthly pension or a one-time lump sum. You file each one separately.
What are the requirements for the SSS death benefit?
The deceased must have been an SSS member with at least one posted contribution. Beneficiaries need a Death Claim Application, a PSA-registered death certificate, valid ID with biometrics, disbursement account details, and relationship documents (marriage or birth certificates) proving they're a primary or secondary beneficiary.
Do I get a monthly pension or a lump sum for the SSS death benefit?
If the deceased had at least 36 monthly contributions posted before the semester of death, primary beneficiaries receive a lifetime monthly pension plus a 13th month pension every December. If fewer than 36 contributions were posted, or if only secondary/designated beneficiaries exist, the payout is a one-time lump sum instead.
Can I claim both the SSS funeral benefit and the death benefit?
Yes. They're separate claims with separate qualified claimants, and there's no rule against filing both when the situations apply — for example, a spouse who both paid for the funeral and qualifies as a primary beneficiary can file for each.
How long do I have to file an SSS funeral or death benefit claim?
SSS money claims generally prescribe 10 years from the month of death under RA 11199. Confirm your specific case with an SSS branch if you're filing late, since documentation gets harder to produce the longer you wait.
Is the SSS funeral benefit the same as the GSIS funeral benefit?
No. SSS covers private-sector and voluntary members; GSIS covers government employees and their survivors. A deceased person is covered by whichever system they belonged to, not both. See our GSIS funeral benefit guide for the government-employee side, which pays up to ₱50,000 for deaths on or after July 13, 2026.
Conclusion
Filing for SSS funeral and death benefits after losing a family member is never easy, but the two claims are worth pursuing separately and as early as you can — the funeral benefit can offset what you already spent, and the death benefit can provide ongoing income if the deceased had enough contributions. If the family is also short on cash for the hospital bill that preceded the death, see our hospital bill assistance hub and medical loan options. Government employees should check the GSIS funeral benefit guide instead. If the deceased was on sick leave before passing, the SSS sickness benefit guide explains that separate, earlier-stage claim. You can also search for accredited clinics and hospitals near you on ClinicFinderPH.