SSS death benefit payouts rise 10.4% to ₱63.74 billion

The Social Security System (SSS) released ₱63.74 billion in death benefits from January to September 2026, up 10.4% from ₱57.74 billion a year earlier, as more beneficiaries received higher monthly pensions following an increase implemented in June, the state pension fund said.

In a news release, SSS said it disbursed an average of ₱7.08 billion in death benefits monthly during the first nine months of the year, providing financial assistance to families of deceased members.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Victor Alfonso A. Limlingan attributed the increase partly to the early implementation of the second tranche of the pension fund’s Pension Reform Program, which raised monthly pensions for surviving spouses and other death pensioners by 5% starting in June.

The largest quarterly increase in death benefit payouts occurred in the third quarter, when disbursements rose by nearly 5% from the previous three months.

Growth between the first and second quarters was below 1%, according to SSS.

Limlingan said the higher disbursements reflected the agency’s mandate to provide financial protection to members’ families, particularly following the loss of a breadwinner.

Death benefit beneficiaries increase

The number of death benefit beneficiaries reached 1.4 million in the first nine months of 2026, up 5.7% from 1.3 million in the same period last year, SSS said.

Surviving spouses and other death pensioners accounted for about 89.8% of the beneficiaries.

As of September, the average monthly death pension stood at ₱4,568, with the minimum pension at ₱2,000 and the highest at ₱23,422.

SSS death benefits are paid either as a monthly pension or a one-time lump sum, depending on the deceased member’s contribution history and the eligibility of the beneficiaries.

Primary beneficiaries of deceased members who had paid at least 36 monthly contributions before the semester of death may qualify for a monthly pension.

Those whose deceased members had fewer than 36 contributions are generally entitled to a lump sum.

In the absence of primary beneficiaries, qualified secondary beneficiaries may receive the lump sum benefit, subject to SSS rules.

Funeral benefit releases also increase

Separately, SSS disbursed ₱3.25 billion in funeral benefits from January to September, 5% higher than the ₱3.09 billion released during the same period in 2025.

The fund reported an average monthly funeral benefit payout of ₱360.98 million.

Funeral benefit beneficiaries increased by 3.5% to 151,844 from 146,666 a year earlier, equivalent to an average of 16,872 recipients monthly.

The funeral benefit is a cash grant intended to help cover burial and related expenses following the death of an SSS member, permanently totally disabled member or retiree.

For deceased members with at least 36 monthly contributions, the benefit ranges from ₱20,000 to ₱60,000, depending on their contribution record and average monthly salary credit.

Those with at least one but fewer than 36 monthly contributions up to the month of death are entitled to a fixed benefit of ₱12,000, according to SSS.

Eligible expenses include funeral services, embalming, cremation, interment, coffins, cemetery or memorial lots, columbarium niches and certain memorial or funeral insurance plans.

Reimbursement is based on documented expenses but cannot exceed the computed funeral benefit.

The surviving legal spouse of the deceased member is given priority over other claimants.

Applications must be filed within 10 years from the month of the member’s or pensioner’s death.

Claims available online

SSS said death and funeral benefit applications may be filed online through the My.SSS account of the member-claimant.

Non-member claimants must submit their applications at any SSS branch office.

Limlingan said the fund would continue efforts to improve benefit delivery and ensure that qualified beneficiaries receive assistance.

The latest figures underscore the financial role of SSS death and funeral benefits for families coping with the loss of a member, although actual entitlements depend on contribution records, beneficiary status and applicable eligibility requirements.