Applying for SSS Survivor’s Pension Online (Philippines): A Complete Legal Guide

This article explains who may claim, what documents you need, and how to file online for the Social Security System (SSS) survivor’s (death) benefits in the Philippines. It includes edge-cases (multiple families, illegitimate children, minors, overseas claimants), payment rules, post-approval duties, and common pitfalls.

1) What the “survivor’s pension” is (and isn’t)

Survivor’s benefits are SSS death benefits paid to the deceased member’s eligible beneficiaries. They come in two forms:

Monthly Death Pension – a continuing pension when the member has met the contribution requirement (see §3).
Lump-Sum Death Benefit – a one-time amount when the contribution requirement for a pension is not met.

Separate but related:

Funeral Benefit may be claimed by the person who paid the funeral expenses (not necessarily a beneficiary).
Employees’ Compensation (EC) Death Benefit may be due in addition to SSS if the death was work-related and the employer was EC-covered.

2) Who can claim: order of beneficiaries

SSS pays according to a statutory order. If a higher class exists, lower classes are skipped.

A. Primary beneficiaries (first in line)

Dependent legitimate spouse (until remarriage or cohabitation). “Dependent” means not gainfully supporting themselves independently of the member’s estate/pension.
Dependent children of the member (legitimate, illegitimate, or legally adopted) who are:
- Under 21, unmarried, and not gainfully employed; or
- Any age if permanently incapacitated and incapacity began while still a minor.

Notes:

Separation in fact does not disqualify a legal spouse.
Common-law partners are not spouses for SSS, but their illegitimate children (with the member) can be primary beneficiaries.
Children in the same class share equally in their class’s entitlement. The spouse and the children are paid as co-primary beneficiaries.

B. Secondary beneficiaries (only if no primary exists)

The member’s dependent parents.

C. Designated beneficiaries (only if none of the above)

Persons designated in SSS records receive a lump sum (no pension).

3) When a monthly pension is payable (vs. lump sum)

Monthly Death Pension is payable if the deceased member has at least 36 posted monthly contributions before the semester of death (the semester is a 6-month block used in SSS computations).
If fewer than 36 contributions are posted, eligible beneficiaries receive a lump sum instead.

(EC claims have their own qualifying rules; you may claim SSS and EC together if applicable.)

4) How much is paid (at a glance)

Monthly Death Pension is computed from the member’s contributions and credited years of service using SSS formulas and includes:

A Basic Monthly Pension (BMP) subject to statutory minimums, plus
A Dependent’s Pension for up to five eligible minor/disabled children (paid to/through the legal guardian), and
A 13th-month pension every December for pensioners on record as of November.

Other rules you should know:

The spouse’s entitlement ends upon remarriage or cohabitation; children’s entitlement continues while eligible.
Pensions from SSS are generally not subject to Philippine income tax.
Overpayments (e.g., not reporting remarriage or a child aging out) can be collected back by SSS—always report status changes promptly.

5) Online filing prerequisites

Before you can file the survivor’s claim online via My.SSS, ensure the following are ready:

My.SSS account for the claimant (spouse, parent, guardian, or designated beneficiary).
Disbursement Account Enrollment completed in the SSS Disbursement Account Enrollment Module (DAEM) for the payee:
- A single-own bank account under the payee’s exact registered name with SSS (PESONet-participating bank is safest).
- Upload proof of account (e.g., ATM card front, e-statement, bank certification).
- Joint accounts and third-party accounts are generally not accepted for pensions.
Clear digital copies (PDF/JPG/PNG as required) of all supporting documents (see §6).

If the guardian is the applicant (for minors or persons with disability), complete the guardian’s DAEM and provide proof of guardianship/representation.

6) Documentary requirements (checklist)

Exact combinations vary by family situation. Prepare PSA-issued civil registry documents unless otherwise allowed.

A. For all online death claims

Death Certificate of the member (PSA or civil registrar copy).
Valid government-issued ID of the claimant (with signature and photo).
SSS numbers of all beneficiaries (enroll or locate them first, if possible).
Completed online Death Benefit Application (done inside My.SSS; no paper form for online filing).
Proof of disbursement account (DAEM).

B. If claimant is the legal spouse

Marriage Certificate (PSA).
Affidavit of Non-Remarriage/Non-Cohabitation (SSS may require at filing or post-approval; keep ready).
Birth Certificates of all the member’s children (PSA), legitimate and illegitimate, living or deceased (SSS requires full disclosure for correct sharing and dependents’ pension).
If there are illegitimate children, include proof of filiation if not apparent from PSA birth certificates (e.g., Acknowledgment in PSA record, Private Sworn Acknowledgment, school/medical records, or DNA when needed).

C. If claimant is a guardian for minor/disabled child

Child’s Birth Certificate (PSA).
Proof of guardianship/representation:
- If surviving parent acts as natural guardian: Birth Certificate often suffices.
- If non-parent guardian: Court-issued Letters of Guardianship or SSS Representative Payee Affidavit as accepted by SSS.
Medical Certificate and proof of permanent incapacity if claiming as a disabled child of any age (showing incapacity began while still a minor).

D. If there are no spouse/children (claim by parents)

Member’s Birth Certificate and proof of filiation to the parents (PSA documents).
Parents’ valid IDs and Affidavit of Dependency if required.

E. If there are no primary/secondary beneficiaries (designated beneficiary)

SSS E-1/E-4 records or SSS designation record naming the beneficiary;
Beneficiary’s valid ID and civil documents as SSS may require.

F. Optional/conditional documents SSS often asks for

Affidavit of Sole Heirship/Heirs and/or Extrajudicial Settlement (particularly if there are estate issues or for funeral/lump-sum claims).
CENOMAR/Advisory on Marriages (when multiple marriages or marital validity is in question).
Proof of name discrepancy correction (IDs, affidavits, annotated PSA records).
Proof of EC coverage/work-related death (employer’s reports, accident/medical records), if filing EC alongside SSS.

Practical tip: Upload legible color scans; ensure names and dates match SSS records to avoid verification holds.

7) Step-by-step: filing the survivor’s claim online

Create/Log in to your My.SSS account (claimant).
Update records: Check your contact details and beneficiary info; correct discrepancies first (name formats, birthdates).
Enroll your bank account via DAEM and upload proof. Wait for account status to reflect as enrolled/approved in My.SSS.
In Benefits → Apply for Benefit, choose Death (Survivor’s).
Select claimant type (spouse, child via guardian, parent, designated) and encode all beneficiaries as prompted.
Upload documents listed in §6. Include all children (even if not claiming now) to avoid later benefit redistribution or overpayment issues.
Review declarations carefully and submit. Save/print the transaction/reference number.
Monitor My.SSS → Submitted Claims/Transactions and your registered email/SMS for SSS advisories or additional document requests.
If also claiming Funeral or EC, file the separate online claims (you can file them in parallel if documents are ready).

8) After approval: payment and ongoing duties

Pension crediting goes to the enrolled bank account (DAEM).
Dependents’ pension for minor/disabled children is received by the guardian strictly in trust for them.
Report status changes immediately, including:
- Spouse remarriage or cohabitation
- Child turns 21, marries, or becomes gainfully employed
- Death of any beneficiary
- Change of guardian or bank account
Annual Confirmation of Pensioners (ACOP) or its updated process must be complied with (often online/video or bank confirmation). Non-compliance may suspend the pension until complied with.

9) Special situations & edge cases

Multiple families / blended families. The legal spouse (if any) and all eligible children—legitimate and illegitimate—share as primary beneficiaries. Illegitimate children’s shares are recognized, but proof of filiation is required where not apparent.
Annulment/nullity. A marriage void ab initio or annulled before death generally disqualifies that spouse. If annulment happens after death, benefits already lawfully paid may be subject to SSS review; consult counsel.
Spouse separated in fact. Still a spouse unless a court decree changed status; separation in fact alone doesn’t bar entitlement.
Common-law partner only. No spousal entitlement; children (if any) may qualify.
Posthumous child. A child conceived before death but born after remains a primary beneficiary upon birth; update the claim once the PSA record becomes available.
Overseas claimants. Filing and ACOP can be done online; if consular/legalization of affidavits is needed, use apostille (or consular authentication where applicable).
Name or date mismatches. Resolve via PSA annotations or sworn affidavits with corroborating documents before (or during) filing to avoid verification delays.
Late discovery of additional children. SSS may recompute and redistribute shares; disclose fully at the outset to avoid overpayments and potential liability.

10) Common reasons for delays or denials (and how to avoid them)

Unenrolled/invalid bank account (DAEM not approved, joint account, nickname mismatch).
Illegible or incomplete uploads (cut-off civil registry details, missing back side of IDs).
Undeclared children or unresolved filiation issues.
Marital validity questions (use PSA Advisory on Marriages; provide supporting court orders if any).
Failure to meet the 36-contribution threshold for a pension (expect a lump sum instead).
Unreported remarriage/cohabitation (leads to overpayments and possible recovery actions).
ACOP non-compliance for continuing pensioners.

11) Quick FAQs

Q: Can I file online even if I’m claiming as a guardian of minors? Yes. Upload the child’s PSA birth certificate and proof of guardianship/representation. The guardian must complete DAEM in their own name (as representative payee).

Q: Do illegitimate children need to appear personally? Not for the online filing itself, but SSS may require additional proof of filiation. Provide PSA birth records and any acknowledgments; be prepared for further verification.

Q: Is the spouse’s pension lifetime? It continues until the spouse remarries or cohabits, subject to ACOP and other compliance. Children’s shares end when they cease to be dependent (e.g., turn 21, marry, or become gainfully employed), except for those permanently incapacitated from minority.

Q: Can we receive both SSS and EC death pensions? Yes, if the death is work-related and the employer was EC-covered; EC has its own eligibility and documents.

Q: Are survivor pensions taxable? SSS pensions are generally excluded from gross income under Philippine tax rules.

12) Practical filing roadmap (one-page checklist)

Confirm you’re an eligible beneficiary (§2).
Check if the member meets the 36-contribution rule (§3).
Create/log into My.SSS; update records.
DAEM: enroll an own-name PESONet bank account; upload proof.
Gather PSA death, marriage, birth certificates; IDs; guardianship/medical proofs if needed (§6).
File Death Benefit online; encode all children, upload all documents.
(If applicable) File Funeral and EC claims separately online.
Watch for SSS email/SMS; promptly submit any additional requirements.
After approval, report changes (remarriage, child ages out, etc.) and comply with ACOP.

Final notes

Keep copies of all submissions and reference numbers.
When in doubt about marital validity or filiation, prepare supporting affidavits and PSA advisories early.
If a dispute arises (e.g., competing claims), SSS may hold payment pending resolution; you may seek legal advice or pursue settlement/court determination as needed.

This guide is for general information in the Philippine context. For individualized advice—especially for complex family or documentary situations—consult a Philippine social legislation or family law practitioner.