The Social Security System (SSS) recorded 11,088 online transactions for funeral benefit claims in the first quarter of 2021, up by 13.6% from 9,762 transactions recorded in the second semester of last year.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Aurora C. Ignacio attributed the significant increase to the implementation of mandatory online transactions and checkless disbursements in 2020.

“In line with our campaign ExpreSSS—fast, simple, and easy transactions with SSS—we committed to expanding our online services with the inclusion of funeral benefit applications last July 2020, as part of the available e-services under the My.SSS portal. Member-claimants may now receive their benefits through checkless disbursements through the Unified Multipurpose Identification (UMID) card enrolled as ATM. If without UMID card enrolled as ATM, the funeral benefit may be credited to Philippine Electronic Fund Transfer & System Operations Network (PESONet) participating banks, E-wallets such as the PayMaya Upgraded Account, or remittance transfer companies/cash payout outlets (RTCs/CPOs) such as M Lhuiller,” Ignacio said.

SSS grants funeral benefits to whoever paid for the burial expenses of the deceased member. The deceased employee, self-employed, voluntary, or an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) member must have at least one contribution payment to qualify. An employee subject to compulsory coverage but was not reported by his/her employer is also qualified to the grant of the funeral benefit.

To submit funeral claim applications online, SSS member-claimants should be registered on the SSS website and must have a registered account enrolled in the Disbursement Account Enrollment Module (DAEM), accessible at www.sss.gov.ph. They must upload supporting documents such as proof of SSS membership of the deceased, death certificate of deceased member issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority or certified true copy duly registered with Local Civil Registry (LCR), and proof of payment of funeral expenses.

Non-SSS member claimants may submit at any SSS branch the funeral claim application and documentary requirements, together with the proof of disbursement account—such as passbook, ATM card with the name of member-claimant and account number, validated initial deposit slip or bank certificate/statement issued within the last three months before the filing of the claim. For disbursements through e-wallet/RTC/CPO, member-claimant must provide his/her mobile number. For the complete step-by-step procedure on how to file a funeral benefit application online, click on this link https://bit.ly/3tyhm98.

For more information, follow the SSS on Facebook and YouTube at “Philippine Social Security System,” Instagram at “mysssph,” and Twitter at “PHLSSS,” or join its Viber Community at “MYSSSPH Updates.”

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