SSS sickness benefit: who qualifies and how to apply
This page is for a self-employed, voluntary or OFW member, or someone who has left their job, who cannot work because of sickness or injury. It explains who qualifies, the deadlines, and how to fill the Sickness Benefit Application (SIC-01250). At the end you will know which documents to get from your doctor and how soon to file.
This site fills the form; you submit it to SSS yourself.
Which route are you?
You are · Route; Employed · Tell your employer and give a medical certificate (Med 01688); the employer notifies SSS through its My.SSS account (SSS Sickness benefit); Self-employed, voluntary, OFW, non-working spouse, or separated from employment · You apply yourself (SSS Sickness benefit)
SIC-01250 is titled "Sickness Benefit Application (for self-employed/voluntary member and member separated from employment)" on the form itself, edition 12-2015. SSS's current page describes the application as filed online: log in to My.SSS, open the Benefits tab, choose Sickness Benefit, fill the online form and upload the documents (SSS Sickness benefit). Ask your branch whether the paper form is still accepted for you. Use the form to prepare your details and show your doctor which parts they must fill.
Who qualifies
SSS lists these conditions (SSS Sickness benefit):
- You are unable to work due to sickness or injury and are confined, in a hospital or at home, for at least four days. - You paid at least three months of contributions in the 12 months before the semester of the sickness or injury. - You notified your employer, or SSS if you are self-employed, voluntary, OFW or separated. - If employed, you have used up your company sick leave with pay for the year (sea-based OFWs excepted).
The benefit is 90% of your average daily salary credit. It is paid for a maximum of 120 days in a calendar year, and not more than 240 days for the same illness (SSS Sickness benefit). The law behind it is the Social Security Act of 2018, RA 11199, as SSS's page cites it.
When to file
- Home confinement: within five calendar days after the confinement starts. - Hospital confinement: within one year from the date of hospital discharge.
Late notice can mean a reduced or denied claim, and SSS counts the confinement as starting no earlier than the fifth day before you notified (SSS Sickness benefit).
What to bring
- SSS Medical Certificate (Med 01688) with the complete diagnosis, the recommended number of sick-leave days including recuperation, the clinic address, a contact number and a legible license number (SSS Sickness benefit). - Supporting medical documents if the confinement is long, such as laboratory, X-ray or ECG results and operating room or clinical records. - If you were employed before, a certificate of separation from your last employer, or an affidavit of undertaking in the cases SSS lists (company on strike, closed, a pending case, AWOL or strained relations) (SSS Sickness benefit).
Step by step on SIC-01250
Open the SSS Sickness Benefit Application. It is printed in capital letters, in black ink.
Part I-A, Personal data. SS number, common reference number if any, date of birth, TIN if any, name, local address, phone, mobile, e-mail, and foreign address if any. Then tick the sickness benefit type (SS or EC), the place of confinement (home or hospital), and write the name of your last employer and the date you separated from it.
Part I-B, Bank enrollment. Bank name and branch, branch address, account name and account number, and the account type. Fill it only if you are not yet enrolled in the payment through the bank.
Part I-C, Certification. Print your name, sign and date. If you cannot sign, the form asks for two witnesses to your fingerprints with their names, addresses and contact numbers.
Part II-A, Medical certificate. This is for the attending physician. They write the date they examined you, the days of confinement, the diagnosis, place of confinement, start date, hospital name and their license number. Do not fill it yourself. Part II-B is for SSS.
Mistakes that get a claim denied
- Waiting past the five-day window for home confinement. - A medical certificate without the license number or the number of days. - Leaving out the certificate of separation when you recently left a job. - Bank details that do not match the enrolled account. SSS pays through a disbursement account enrolled on My.SSS (SSS Sickness benefit).
Questions
Ilang araw bago ako dapat mag-notify?
Five calendar days after home confinement starts. For hospital confinement, within one year from discharge (SSS Sickness benefit).
Magkano ang makukuha ko kada araw?
90% of your average daily salary credit, up to 120 days a year (SSS Sickness benefit). SSS's page shows how the average is computed from your highest monthly salary credits.
Empleyado ako, ito pa rin ba ang form ko?
Not usually. SSS says an employed member tells the employer and gives the medical certificate, and the employer notifies SSS online (SSS Sickness benefit).
Puwede bang sabay ang sickness at maternity benefit?
No. SSS says a maternity benefit bars sickness benefit for the same period (SSS Maternity benefit). See the maternity notification guide.
Last checked 2026-10-15. Not affiliated with BIR, SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG or any government agency.