Quick answer

Yes—but the right to receive a funeral benefit depends on the deceased’s pension system, the type of pension, the date of death, and who paid or is legally entitled to claim.

For a deceased SSS retirement or permanent-total-disability pensioner, the funeral benefit is generally paid to the person who shouldered the funeral expenses. For a deceased qualified GSIS old-age or disability pensioner, GSIS follows an order of priority: the surviving legitimate spouse, then a legitimate child who paid the expenses, and, if neither applies, another person who can prove payment.

Merely being a family member or named beneficiary does not automatically make someone the proper funeral-benefit claimant. A person receiving only a survivor’s or dependent’s pension is also not necessarily covered upon their own death; the family must verify whether that person had an independently qualifying SSS or GSIS membership.

Funeral benefits are separate from death benefits, survivorship pensions, life-insurance proceeds, and any Employees’ Compensation claim. Families may need to file these separately.

Current benefit amounts

System	Amount for a qualifying deceased pensioner	Important date rule
SSS	₱20,000 to ₱60,000 if at least 36 monthly contributions were paid; ₱12,000 if at least one but fewer than 36 contributions were paid	The present schedule applies to deaths on or after 20 October 2023
GSIS	₱50,000, paid once to one qualified claimant	Applies to deaths occurring on or after 13 July 2026; the previous regular benefit was ₱30,000

Under SSS Circular No. 2023-009, the variable SSS amount is calculated as:

₱20,000 + (0.5% × number of paid contributions × average monthly salary credit), capped at ₱60,000.

A retirement pensioner will ordinarily have substantially more than 36 contributions, but SSS must still determine the amount from its records. The current rules and document checklist appear on the official SSS Funeral Benefit page.

GSIS increased its benefit through GSIS Board Resolution No. 128-2026. The increase applies according to the date of death, not the date the family files the claim. See the official GSIS announcement.

For an earlier death, do not apply the latest amount retroactively. Ask SSS or GSIS to determine the amount under the schedule effective when the death occurred.

Who may claim an SSS funeral benefit?

The Social Security Act of 2018, particularly Section 13-B, covers the death of an SSS member, including a retired member or permanent-total-disability pensioner. Current SSS rules allow the benefit to be claimed by the person who defrayed the funeral expenses.

That person may be:

The surviving legal spouse;
A child, parent, sibling, or other relative; or
Another natural person who actually paid the qualifying funeral expenses.

Relationship alone is insufficient. Except where SSS permits substitute documents, the claimant must establish that they paid.

Special rule for the surviving legal spouse

A surviving legal spouse may submit an acceptable marriage certificate and the required SSS certification that the spouse paid the funeral expenses in place of an official receipt, subject to SSS validation.

If someone other than the surviving spouse files

A non-spouse claimant will generally need proof of payment and additional documents addressing the surviving spouse’s priority or circumstances. Depending on the facts, SSS may require:

A notarized waiver signed by the surviving legal spouse;
A notarized affidavit attested by two disinterested persons stating that the spouse did not pay or cannot be located;
The spouse’s death certificate and the couple’s marriage certificate, if the spouse predeceased the pensioner; or
The deceased’s CENOMAR if the deceased was single.

A child, parent, or legal heir may in some cases use a certification showing that the deceased pensioner’s own memorial or funeral plan was availed of. The exact documents depend on who owned and paid for the plan.

Who may claim a GSIS funeral benefit?

Section 23 of the GSIS Act of 1997 authorizes funeral benefits upon the death of specified members, pensioners, and retirees. Current GSIS guidance covers, among others:

A qualified old-age or disability pensioner;
An active member;
A separated member entitled to a future separation or retirement benefit;
A retiree who was of pensionable age under Republic Act No. 8291 but chose retirement under Republic Act No. 1616; and
A person who retired under Republic Act No. 1616 before 24 June 1997 and had at least 20 years of government service.

GSIS records—not an old government ID or a family’s understanding of the person’s status—control whether the deceased belonged to a covered category.

The ₱50,000 benefit is paid once to a single qualified claimant in this order:

The deceased’s legitimate spouse;
A legitimate child who paid the funeral expenses; or
If neither applies, another person who can sufficiently prove that they paid the funeral expenses.

A common-law partner, sibling, friend, or other person does not displace a qualified legal spouse simply because that person organized or initially paid for the funeral. Marital status, waivers, and proof of payment may therefore become decisive.

A survivor pensioner is not automatically covered

“Pensioner” can describe different situations:

A person receiving a retirement or old-age pension based on their own membership;
A permanent-disability pensioner; or
A surviving spouse, child, or dependent receiving a pension because another member died.

The funeral-benefit provisions specifically cover qualifying members, retirees, and specified disability pensioners. They do not automatically create another funeral benefit when a person receiving only a survivor’s or dependent’s pension later dies.

If the deceased survivor pensioner also had their own SSS or GSIS membership, ask the appropriate system to check that separate record.

How to file an SSS funeral claim

1. Confirm the deceased’s SSS record

Obtain the correct SS number or Common Reference Number, full registered name, date of birth, date of death, and pension type. Do not rely only on a pension ATM card or an old ID.

2. Secure the basic records

The usual documents include:

Proof of the deceased’s SSS membership;
A death certificate registered with the Local Civil Registry or issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority;
The claimant’s identification and relationship documents, when relevant; and
Proof that the claimant paid the funeral expenses.

The usual proof of payment is an original BIR-registered official receipt bearing both the claimant’s name and the deceased’s name. If the original was lost or submitted elsewhere, SSS may accept a certified true copy or a certification from the funeral or memorial provider containing the payment details.

Additional documents apply when there is no registered death or marriage certificate, the death occurred abroad, a memorial plan was used, or the claimant is not the surviving spouse. Foreign-language death records require the prescribed official English translation.

3. Use the correct filing channel

An SSS-member claimant must generally file through the My.SSS portal and have an approved disbursement account enrolled through the Disbursement Account Enrollment Module. A claimant who is not an SSS member must file over the counter at an SSS branch.

For online claims, supporting files must be images or PDFs and must comply with the portal’s current file-size limits. Keep the submission notice and claim reference.

4. Monitor the disbursement account

Approved proceeds are credited to the claimant’s enrolled UMID-ATM or preferred DAEM account. Check that the account is active and registered in the claimant’s own name.

How to file a GSIS funeral claim

1. Check the deceased’s qualifying status and date of death

Ask GSIS to confirm the pension or retirement category. The date of death determines whether the ₱30,000 or ₱50,000 schedule applies.

2. Complete the current application form

Use the latest funeral-benefit form available through the GSIS Downloadable Forms page. Avoid relying on a form saved years ago.

3. Prepare the supporting documents

The core requirements generally include:

The deceased member’s death certificate issued by the Local Civil Registry or PSA;
A valid government-issued ID of the claimant;
Marriage or birth records establishing the claimed relationship; and
For a non-spouse claimant, receipts or other sufficient proof that the claimant paid the funeral expenses.

GSIS may require additional documents where the spouse is deceased, absent, estranged, or waiving the claim; where civil-registry records conflict; or where the death occurred abroad.

4. Follow the official filing instructions

Use the GSIS Online Filing of Claims page or obtain instructions from the servicing GSIS office. Because electronic filing instructions may identify a particular branch or email address, verify the destination before sending personal records.

The GSIS Contact Center number published with the July 2026 increase is (02) 8-847-4747.

Filing deadlines

GSIS: four years from death

Section 28 of Republic Act No. 8291 provides that claims other than life-insurance and retirement claims prescribe four years after the contingency. For a funeral claim, the contingency is the pensioner’s death. GSIS also expressly reminds claimants that a funeral benefit must be filed within four years from the date of death.

Do not wait until the final days. Submitting an incomplete inquiry may not necessarily protect the claim. Obtain proof that GSIS received the actual application and required documents.

SSS: file promptly

The current SSS funeral-benefit page does not state a separate short filing period comparable to the GSIS four-year rule. That should not be treated as permission to delay indefinitely. Evidence becomes harder to obtain, receipts may be lost, and civil-status or payment disputes may emerge. File as soon as the death certificate and essential payment records are available, and ask SSS directly about any old claim.

Evidence the family should preserve

Keep original documents and clear digital copies of:

Funeral-home, cremation, cemetery, columbarium, burial-transfer, and church-service receipts;
Itemized invoices showing the deceased’s name and the person who paid;
Memorial-plan contracts, certificates of availment, premium receipts, and proof of plan ownership;
Bank-transfer records, deposit slips, card statements, and electronic-payment confirmations;
The death certificate and burial or cremation certificate;
Marriage certificates, birth certificates, CENOMAR, and court orders affecting marital status;
The deceased’s SSS or GSIS number, pension records, and government-service documents;
Waivers and affidavits, where genuinely applicable;
Claim acknowledgments, reference numbers, emails, screenshots, and agency replies; and
Bank statements showing pension credits before and after death.

Notify the pension system promptly of the death. Do not withdraw or spend pension payments credited for periods after the pensioner died unless the agency confirms that the money is legally payable. Preserve the account records if an overpayment issue arises.

Common mistakes that delay or defeat claims

Assuming the nearest relative automatically receives the benefit;
Using receipts that identify neither the claimant nor the deceased;
Letting several relatives file competing claims without first resolving who has priority;
Treating a common-law partner as equivalent to a legal spouse for GSIS priority;
Assuming that every survivor or dependent pensioner has a funeral benefit upon their own death;
Using the filing date instead of the date of death to determine the applicable amount;
Filing only a funeral claim and overlooking a separate death or survivorship claim;
Submitting an outdated form or sending documents to an unverified email address;
Waiting until the GSIS four-year period is about to expire;
Altering receipts, creating inaccurate affidavits, or signing a waiver without understanding it; and
Paying an unofficial fixer instead of using agency channels.

Funeral benefits are different from death and survivorship benefits

A funeral benefit reimburses or assists with burial-related expenses. A death or survivorship benefit is payable under different rules to qualified beneficiaries.

For example:

The person who paid the funeral may qualify for the SSS funeral benefit but not for the deceased pensioner’s continuing death benefit.
A surviving spouse may qualify for both, but only if the spouse independently satisfies each benefit’s rules.
A child who paid the funeral may receive the funeral benefit while a surviving spouse receives the survivorship pension.
Filing one claim does not necessarily cause the agency to process every other benefit automatically.

Ask the agency to check for retirement-pension balances, survivorship benefits, life-insurance proceeds, Employees’ Compensation benefits, and any other amount independently payable.

When help is urgent

Contact SSS or GSIS immediately—and consider legal assistance—when:

The GSIS four-year deadline is close;
Two people claim to be the legal spouse;
The deceased was separated but not legally annulled or widowed;
A common-law partner paid while a legal spouse survives;
The death, marriage, or birth record is missing or inconsistent;
The death occurred abroad and documents need authentication or translation;
Another person has already received or filed for the benefit;
The agency rejects the pensioner’s membership or retirement status;
Receipts are in another person’s name and no valid waiver is available;
Post-death pension payments were withdrawn or the agency demands repayment;
There is suspected falsification, identity misuse, or a fraudulent competing claim; or
The death may have been work-connected, making a separate Employees’ Compensation claim possible.

Request any denial and its reasons in writing. Follow the review or appeal instructions and deadline in the agency’s decision; do not rely solely on a verbal statement at a counter or hotline.

Frequently asked questions

Can a non-relative claim the funeral benefit?

Possibly. Under SSS rules, a natural person who actually paid may qualify, subject to proof and any documents required because a surviving spouse exists. Under GSIS rules, another person may claim only after the higher-priority spouse and qualifying child categories do not apply, and the person must prove payment.

Can a common-law partner claim?

For SSS, a common-law partner may potentially claim as the person who paid, but is treated as a non-spouse claimant and must meet the additional documentary rules. For GSIS, a common-law partner does not take the place of the legitimate spouse in the stated priority order.

What if the deceased pensioner prepaid a memorial plan?

Keep the plan contract, payment records, and certification of availment. SSS expressly recognizes certain memorial or funeral-plan certifications as substitute evidence in specified cases. GSIS should be asked to confirm how its priority rules apply where the deceased, rather than the claimant, bought the plan.

What if there is no official receipt?

SSS may accept a certified true copy or a detailed certification from the funeral or memorial provider in situations recognized by its current checklist. GSIS non-spouse claimants must prove payment, so consult GSIS before assuming that an informal acknowledgment or handwritten receipt will suffice.

Can the family claim both funeral and survivorship benefits?

Yes, if the claimant or beneficiaries separately meet the requirements for each benefit. They are distinct claims and may be payable to different people.

Is the benefit divided among all heirs?

Ordinarily, no. The funeral benefit is paid to the qualified claimant under the applicable SSS or GSIS rules. It is not automatically divided as inheritance among all heirs. GSIS expressly describes its benefit as a one-time payment to one qualified claimant.

Does the cause of death have to be work-related?

Not for the ordinary SSS or GSIS funeral benefit. A work-related death may, however, support an additional Employees’ Compensation claim, which has separate proof and filing rules.

What if the pensioner died before the latest increase?

The amount is governed by the rules effective on the date of death. A later increase does not automatically apply. Have the agency confirm the correct historical amount.

Official sources

SSS Funeral Benefit guidance and documentary requirements
SSS Circular No. 2023-009
Republic Act No. 11199 — Social Security Act of 2018
GSIS Funeral Benefit guidance
GSIS July 2026 funeral-benefit increase
[GSIS Board Resolution No.

Quick answer

Yes—but the right to claim depends on the pensioner’s system, pension type, date of death, and who paid the funeral expenses.

For an SSS retirement or permanent-total-disability pensioner, the person who shouldered the funeral expenses may claim the SSS funeral benefit. For a qualified GSIS old-age or disability pensioner, GSIS pays one claimant according to its order of priority: the surviving legal spouse, then a legitimate child who paid the expenses, and, if neither qualifies, another person who proves payment.

A person receiving only a survivor’s or dependent’s pension is not automatically treated as a retired or disability member for funeral-benefit purposes. The agency must check whether that person had qualifying membership in their own right.

The funeral benefit is also separate from any death benefit, survivorship pension, life-insurance proceeds, Employees’ Compensation benefit, or unpaid pension. Families may need to file separate claims for each.

Current benefit amounts

System	Current regular funeral benefit	Important date rule
SSS	₱20,000 to ₱60,000 if the deceased had at least 36 paid contributions; ₱12,000 for one to 35 paid contributions	This schedule applies to deaths from 20 October 2023. Earlier deaths follow the schedule then in force.
GSIS	₱50,000, paid once to one qualified claimant	Applies to deaths occurring on or after 13 July 2026. The regular benefit for earlier deaths was ₱30,000.

Under SSS Circular No. 2023-009, the benefit for at least 36 contributions is computed as ₱20,000 plus 0.5% of the deceased’s number of paid contributions multiplied by the applicable average monthly salary credit, capped at ₱60,000. SSS performs the official computation.

The GSIS increase was approved for claims arising from deaths on or after 13 July 2026 under GSIS Board Resolution No. 128-2026. It is a fixed, one-time payment to one qualified claimant, according to GSIS’s official announcement.

The controlling date is generally the date of death, not the date the family submits the application.

Who may claim an SSS funeral benefit?

Section 13-B of the Social Security Act of 2018 covers the death of an SSS member, including a permanently totally disabled member or retiree. Under the current SSS funeral-benefit rules, the claimant must be the person who defrayed the funeral expenses.

That person may be:

The surviving legal spouse;
A child, parent, sibling, or other relative;
Another natural person who paid the covered funeral expenses.

Relationship alone is not enough. A child named as beneficiary in the member’s SSS record does not automatically receive the funeral benefit if someone else paid the expenses. Conversely, a non-relative may potentially qualify if that person can prove payment and satisfy the required documents.

Special rule for the surviving legal spouse

SSS allows a surviving legal spouse to submit an acceptable marriage certificate and the required certification that the spouse paid the funeral expenses in place of an official receipt, subject to SSS validation.

If someone other than the spouse files

A non-spouse claimant will ordinarily need proof of payment and additional documents addressing the spouse’s priority or status. Depending on the facts, SSS may require:

A notarized waiver from the surviving legal spouse;
A notarized affidavit, attested by two disinterested persons, that the spouse did not pay or cannot be located;
The spouse’s death certificate and the couple’s marriage certificate; or
The deceased’s CENOMAR if the deceased was single.

Do not prepare a waiver or affidavit merely to simplify the claim. It must truthfully reflect who paid and the deceased’s actual civil status.

Who may claim a GSIS funeral benefit?

Section 23 of the GSIS Act of 1997 authorizes funeral benefits upon the death of specified members, pensioners, and retirees. Current GSIS guidance covers:

A qualified active GSIS member;
A separated member entitled to a future separation or retirement benefit;
An old-age or qualified disability pensioner;
A retiree who was of pensionable age under Republic Act No. 8291 but chose retirement under Republic Act No. 1616; or
A person who retired under Republic Act No. 1616 before 24 June 1997 and had at least 20 years of government service.

GSIS pays only one qualified claimant, in this order:

The surviving legal spouse;
A legitimate child who paid the funeral expenses; or
If neither qualifies, another person who proves that they shouldered the expenses.

A common-law partner, sibling, friend, or other payer does not outrank a surviving legal spouse or a qualifying legitimate child under this priority rule. Separation in fact does not by itself end a marriage. If marital status is disputed, GSIS will need the relevant civil-registry or court records.

A survivor pensioner is not necessarily a covered deceased pensioner

Families should identify exactly what pension the deceased received.

An SSS retirement pensioner or permanent-total-disability pensioner falls within the SSS funeral-benefit provision. A person who merely received a survivor’s pension because a spouse or parent had died may not qualify on that basis alone. The person may still be covered if they had their own qualifying SSS membership.

Likewise, the GSIS rules refer to qualified old-age or disability pensioners and specified retirees. Receipt of a survivorship pension does not by itself establish that a new funeral benefit is payable when the survivor later dies.

Ask the agency to verify the deceased’s membership and pension classification rather than relying only on the label appearing in a bank statement.

Documents to secure immediately

Requirements vary with the claimant’s relationship, the deceased’s civil status, and whether the death occurred abroad. As a practical starting set, preserve:

The death certificate registered with the Local Civil Registrar or issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority;
The deceased’s SSS number, CRN, GSIS BP number, UMID, eCard, pension record, or other membership evidence;
The claimant’s valid government-issued identification;
Original BIR-registered official receipts and invoices showing both the claimant and deceased, where required;
Receipts for the funeral home, coffin, cremation, burial, cemetery or memorial lot, transport, permits, and related services;
Bank-transfer records, card statements, payment confirmations, and acknowledgments;
The memorial-plan or funeral-insurance contract, proof of premiums, and certification of availment;
Marriage, birth, adoption, CENOMAR, annulment, nullity, divorce-recognition, or spouse-death records relevant to the claimant’s status;
Any waiver or affidavit specifically required by the agency;
Copies of every document submitted, the submission acknowledgment, claim reference number, email, and agency reply.

Ask providers to issue receipts in the name of the person who actually paid and to identify the deceased. A receipt issued only to “cash,” to another relative, or without the deceased’s name may require correction or additional certification.

For a death abroad, obtain the foreign death record and ask the agency whether authentication, apostille, consular processing, or an official English translation is required.

How to file an SSS funeral claim

If the claimant is an SSS member

Register or sign in through the official My.SSS portal.
Enroll and obtain approval for a disbursement account through the Disbursement Account Enrollment Module.
Choose Funeral Claim under Benefits.
Enter the deceased’s identifying information, date of death, civil status, relationship to the claimant, and funeral expenses.
Upload the required proof of SSS membership, death, and payment. SSS currently accepts image or PDF files up to 2 MB per document for online filing.
Save the email acknowledgment and monitor the claim.

A UMID or digitized SSS ID is no longer a prerequisite for online filing, although an approved disbursement account is required if no UMID-ATM account is available.

If the claimant is not an SSS member

A non-member claimant must file over the counter at an SSS branch. Bring the originals and copies required for the claimant’s particular situation. Review the current checklist on the official SSS funeral-benefit page before visiting.

The current SSS funeral-benefit page does not state a separate short filing period comparable to the GSIS four-year deadline. That should not be treated as permission to delay: file promptly while receipts, civil-registry records, and witnesses remain available, and ask SSS directly about an old claim.

How to file a GSIS funeral claim

Confirm that the deceased belonged to a covered GSIS category and determine the applicable amount from the date of death.
Download the current Application for Funeral Benefit from the GSIS downloadable-forms page.
Prepare the death certificate, claimant’s valid ID, proof of relationship, and any proof of payment required for a non-spouse claimant.
Follow the branch-specific instructions on the GSIS online-filing page or submit through the servicing GSIS office as instructed.
Retain the submission email or receiving copy and follow up using the claim reference.

GSIS may request additional civil-registry records, IDs, receipts, or certifications after checking its membership records. For current instructions, contact the GSIS Contact Center at (02) 8-847-4747.

The GSIS deadline is four years

Section 28 of Republic Act No. 8291 provides that claims other than life-insurance and retirement claims prescribe four years after the contingency. For a funeral claim, GSIS identifies the relevant contingency as the member’s or pensioner’s death.

The claim should therefore reach GSIS within four years from the date of death. Do not wait until the final weeks: an incomplete submission, disputed receipt, or civil-registry correction may prevent timely completion.

Funeral benefit versus death or survivorship benefit

These are different claims.

The funeral benefit helps with burial or funeral expenses and is paid to the qualified claimant under the applicable payer or priority rules.

A death or survivorship benefit is based on beneficiary status, dependency, contribution history, service, and the pension law. It may be a monthly pension or lump sum. The person who paid for the funeral is not necessarily the person entitled to survivorship benefits.

Filing a funeral claim does not necessarily start or complete the separate death, survivorship, life-insurance, or unpaid-benefit claims. Ask the agency for a complete list of benefits that may be due.

If the death may have been work-related, also ask whether an Employees’ Compensation death or funeral claim is available. Preserve the employer’s incident report, EC logbook entry, medical records, police or accident report, duty orders, and evidence connecting the illness or injury to the work.

Common mistakes that delay or defeat claims

Assuming that being the eldest child, named beneficiary, or legal heir automatically gives the right to the funeral benefit;
Failing to identify whether the deceased was an SSS retiree, disability pensioner, survivor pensioner, or GSIS pensioner;
Using receipts issued to someone other than the claimant;
Losing original receipts or memorial-plan records;
Ignoring a surviving legal spouse, including an estranged spouse;
Filing competing claims without first identifying who actually paid;
Treating the new GSIS amount as retroactive to deaths before 13 July 2026;
Treating the current SSS schedule as applicable to deaths before 20 October 2023;
Assuming that a funeral claim also covers survivorship, death, life-insurance, or EC benefits;
Delaying a GSIS claim beyond four years;
Continuing to withdraw pension credits deposited after the pensioner’s death; or
Paying a fixer instead of using official agency channels.

Notify the pension system and the pension-servicing bank promptly about the death. Do not spend pension deposits made after death unless the agency confirms in writing that the money is payable; erroneous post-death credits may be recovered.

When help is urgent

Seek immediate assistance from the agency’s claims or legal unit, or from a Philippine lawyer, when:

The GSIS four-year deadline is approaching;
Two people claim to have paid the funeral;
There is an estranged spouse, second marriage, common-law partner, foreign divorce, or unresolved marital record;
The death certificate is unavailable, late-registered, inconsistent, or issued abroad;
Receipts were lost, altered, issued to the wrong person, or allegedly used in another claim;
The agency says a funeral benefit was already paid;
The deceased’s membership, pension classification, or government service is disputed;
The family receives a demand concerning post-death pension withdrawals;
Fraud, forged signatures, or false affidavits are alleged; or
A work-related death may support a separate Employees’ Compensation claim.

Request a written deficiency notice or decision. It should identify what is missing, why the claim was denied, and the applicable reconsideration or appeal procedure. Do not rely solely on an oral statement at a service counter.

Frequently asked questions

Can a child claim even if there is a surviving spouse?

For SSS, a child who paid may claim, but SSS may require the spouse’s notarized waiver or other documents explaining why the spouse is not the claimant. For GSIS, the surviving legal spouse has first priority under the current order.

Can a common-law partner claim?

Possibly under SSS if the partner actually paid and satisfies the non-spouse requirements. Under GSIS, a common-law partner does not displace a surviving legal spouse or a qualifying legitimate child but may potentially claim in their absence upon sufficient proof of payment.

Can a non-relative claim?

Yes, potentially. SSS focuses on who defrayed the expenses. GSIS may pay another person who proves payment only after the higher-priority spouse and legitimate-child categories do not apply.

What if the pensioner paid for a memorial plan before death?

For SSS, a certification of availment from the memorial or insurance-plan provider may be accepted in specified cases instead of an official receipt. The claimant’s relationship and the identity of the plan holder still matter. GSIS should be asked to confirm which plan records it requires under its priority rules.

Can the same person receive both the funeral benefit and survivorship benefits?

Yes, if that person independently meets the requirements for each benefit. Qualification for one does not prove qualification for the other.

What if the receipt is missing?

SSS may accept a certified true copy of the official receipt or a certification from the funeral or memorial provider containing payment details. GSIS non-spouse claimants must prove payment, so contact the servicing office before filing if the original is unavailable.

Is the benefit divided among the heirs?

Ordinarily, no. The funeral benefit is paid as one claim to the qualified claimant under SSS or GSIS rules. It is not automatically divided as inheritance.

Does the cause of death have to be work-related?

Not for the regular SSS or GSIS funeral benefit. Work connection becomes important when the family seeks a separate Employees’ Compensation benefit.

Official sources

This article provides general legal information, not advice for a particular claim. Eligibility and documentary requirements depend on agency records and the family’s facts. Official sources and current procedures were checked as of 23 July 2026.