A complete, step-by-step playbook for families, funeral claimants, and administrators who need to locate or confirm a deceased person’s SSS number to process funeral and death benefits, update employer and bank records, or settle the estate—while staying compliant with data privacy and SSS procedures.

1) What you’re legally allowed to get—and who may ask

What: The deceased member’s SSS number (and basic identity particulars) needed to file funeral and death claims, verify loans, or close accounts.

Who may request from SSS:

The funeral benefit claimant (the person who paid/will pay the funeral)
Primary beneficiaries: legal spouse and dependent minor/unmarried children
Secondary beneficiaries: dependent parents (if no primary)
A duly authorized representative via Special Power of Attorney (SPA), or a court-appointed executor/administrator/attorney-in-fact

Bring proof of identity and entitlement. SSS will not release personal data to casual inquirers.

2) Before visiting SSS: quick places to find the number

UMID/SSS ID – Sometimes shows the SSS number (or use the CRN to cross-match at SSS during filing).
Old SSS forms – E-1 (Personal Record), E-4 (Member Data Change), loan vouchers, PRN receipts, contribution slips.
Employer HR/payroll – R-3/R-5 reports, onboarding sheets, payslips.
Email/SMS – PRN e-receipts, salary loan notices, SSS portal alerts.
Wallet/home files – Photocopies of IDs, old claim stubs, loan statements.
Bank payroll packs/HMO files – Often echo the SSS number used at hiring.

Keep all candidate numbers—SSS will consolidate duplicates if needed.

3) Minimum document pack to bring (originals + photocopies)

PSA Death Certificate of the member
Your government ID(s) (and SPA, if you’re a representative)
Proof of relationship/entitlement (any that apply):
- PSA Marriage Certificate (spouse)
- PSA Birth Certificates of children
- Member’s PSA Birth Certificate (to prove filiation for parent-claimants)
Any document showing the member’s full name, date of birth, and mother’s maiden name
Any possible SSS number(s) you found (if uncertain, bring all)

4) Three legitimate routes to retrieve/confirm the number

Route A — Retrieve while filing the Funeral or Death Claim

Go to an SSS branch/Service Office and state that the SSS number is unknown.
Provide full identifiers (complete name, DOB, mother’s maiden name, last employers, addresses).
SSS verifies the record and tags the number directly in your claim.

Best for: Families ready to file now.

Route B — Standalone verification for a deceased member

Request Member Number Verification at the branch for purposes of filing funeral/death benefits.
Submit the minimum pack above.
SSS confirms the number (often via a slip or on your intake sheet) so you can organize the rest of your requirements.

Best for: You’re still assembling other documents but need the number early.

Route C — Last employer confirmation

Ask HR for a Certification of SSS Number (attach the death certificate and proof of authority).
Use that number to cross-check at SSS under Route A or B, especially if the member had multiple stints or name variants.

Note: Employers are data controllers too; they may disclose to a legitimate claimant/beneficiary.

5) Name/date mismatches and posthumous data correction

Variations (nicknames, maiden/married names, wrong DOB) are common.

Fix:

Prepare an Affidavit of “One and the Same Person” linking the variants.
File a Member Data Change (E-4) on behalf of the deceased (attach death certificate, proof of relationship, and supporting IDs/PSA docs).
Do not alter the SSS number—correct the data, never the number.

6) Multiple SSS numbers (duplicates)

If you discover two or more numbers for the same person:

Inform SSS and request cancellation of duplicates and consolidation into the earliest valid number.
Submit all numbers, employer certifications per number, the death certificate, and identity linkers (see §5).
Claims may proceed, but expect processing time for the merge.

7) If the deceased was never an SSS member

SSS cannot create a posthumous membership to qualify an ineligible decedent.
Explore LGU burial assistance, employer gratuity, memorial plans, or GSIS (if the deceased was a government employee—note: GSIS is a different system).

8) Data privacy compliance (for you and for SSS)

Your legal basis: pursuing legal claims as beneficiary/funeral claimant or authorized representative.
Request minimally (the number and identity confirmations needed to file).
Store the number securely (no social media, redact in shared files).
Employers should release only to a verified claimant; document the disclosure.

9) Typical timeline and practical tips

Same-day look-up is common if your papers are complete and the record is clean.
Arrive early; bring two copies of everything.
Prepare a name history: e.g., “Maria R. Santos” → “Maria Santos-Cruz.”
If you’re unsure of the mother’s maiden name, bring multiple IDs/PSA docs showing it.
Keep a retrieval log: branch, officer, date/time, and the exact number provided.

10) Downstream uses once you have the number

Funeral benefit filing (funeral claimant)
Death benefit filing (beneficiaries—primary/secondary)
Salary/housing loan checks or settlement against benefits (if any)
Employer clearances and BIR documentary alignments
Bank/insurance claim coordination when SSS proof is needed

Tip: If the member had Mortgage Redemption Insurance (MRI) for a housing loan or private life insurance, file those in parallel; they do not bar SSS benefits.

11) Ready-to-use templates

A) Authority/Special Power of Attorney (beneficiary → representative)

SPECIAL POWER OF ATTORNEY

I, [Full Name of Beneficiary], of legal age, [citizenship], residing at [address], being the
[relationship] of the late [Full Name of Member], who died on [date], hereby authorize
[Full Name of Representative], of legal age, to appear before the Social Security System
and/or [Employer], to request and receive the deceased member’s SSS number and such
basic membership particulars as may be necessary to file funeral/death benefit claims.

Attached are my government ID, the PSA Death Certificate, and proof of my relationship.
This authority is valid for ninety (90) days.

[Signature of Beneficiary]         [Date]
[Printed Name]

B) Employer request for SSS number confirmation

REQUEST FOR SSS NUMBER CONFIRMATION (DECEASED)

To: HR/Payroll – [Company]
I am [Name], [relationship] of the late [Member], formerly employed as [position].
Attached are the Death Certificate and my ID/SPA. Please issue a certification of the
SSS number on record to aid our funeral/death claim.

[Signature / Contact Details]

C) Affidavit of “One and the Same Person” (name/date variants)

AFFIDAVIT

I, [Name], of legal age, state:
1) That [Deceased’s Full Legal Name] is the same person as [Variant Name] appearing in
   [document], referring to one and the same person who died on [date];
2) The variance is due to [nickname/clerical error/marriage name], not identity fraud;
3) Attached are PSA and ID documents linking the identities.

[Signature]  [Date]

12) Troubleshooting matrix

Issue	What to do	Helpful proof
No documents at home	Use Route B with §3 pack	Death cert + your ID + PSA family linkers
Employer closed	Show old payslips/COE; proceed Route A/B	BIR 2316, SSS loan vouchers
Conflicting numbers	Ask for consolidation	All numbers, HR letters, PRNs
Name/DOB mismatch	File E-4 posthumous correction	PSA birth/marriage + affidavit
Unsure of mother’s maiden name	Bring multiple records showing it	PSA birth, school, baptismal
Possible GSIS (not SSS)	Check civil service records	GSIS BP number/UMID

13) FAQs

Can SSS give me the number by phone? Generally no. Expect an in-person verification or release during claim filing.

Can a sibling request the number? Only if a beneficiary or authorized representative (SPA) of a beneficiary/claimant. Otherwise, SSS may decline.

Do I need the SSS number to start the funeral claim? No—the branch can look it up if you provide the full identity details and your entitlement proof.

What if the deceased had both maiden and married names? Bring PSA marriage, IDs in both names, and execute the identity affidavit; SSS will anchor on legal records.

14) Bottom line

You can lawfully retrieve a deceased member’s SSS number if you are a funeral claimant, beneficiary, or authorized representative.
Use any of the three routes (during claim filing, standalone branch verification, or via last employer—then cross-check at SSS).
Prepare a clean identity and entitlement pack, handle name/data mismatches via E-4 and affidavits, and secure the number for claims use only.

If you share your relationship to the deceased, what documents you already have, and whether the last employer is known, I can tailor a one-page action checklist and fill-in SPA/affidavit text for your exact situation.