THE Social Security System (SSS) announced it eased the requirements for the online filing of Funeral Benefit Claim Applications (FBCAs) of member-claimants through the portal of the SSS web site.
Starting July 31, member-claimants are no longer required to have an issued SSS Unified Multi-Purpose Identification or SSS digitized ID card to submit FBCAs online, the pension fund manager said. It further said that in case the claimant is the dependent legal spouse of the deceased member, an online certification with undertaking on his/her defrayal/payment of funeral expense will now be required instead of uploading and submitting other documents as proof.
Moreover, the SSS has applied other process enhancements such as the automatic assignment of the FBCA filed online that has passed the system validation to the concerned SSS branch based on the registered mailing address of the claimant; and automatic sending of e-mail notification to the claimant on the successful online submission, assignment of the claim to the concerned branch for processing, and status of claim (approved, rejected, or denied).
“The online facility for FBCAs, which we introduced last July 2020, assures member-claimants with a faster means of transaction in the safety and convenience of their homes,” SSS President and CEO Aurora C. Ignacio was quoted in the statement as saying.
The said facility can be accessed by member-claimants by logging in to their My.SSS accounts in the SSS website, proceeding to the E-Services tab and clicking “submit funeral claim application,” the SSS said.
Mandatory online filing of FBCAs is applicable to all member-claimants, except for the following cases:
- For funeral expenses incurred without corresponding Official Receipt/contract by member-claimant other than the dependent legal spouse (other preferred beneficiary).
- If available proof of defrayal/payment of funeral expenses is a memorial/insurance plan and is not in the name of the deceased member and claimant as the plan holder.
- If without proof to establish SSS membership of the deceased member.
As of June 2021, the SSS recorded 37,174 FBCAs submitted online.
Meanwhile, non-SSS member claimants must file their Funeral Benefit Claims at any SSS branch, following applicable branch servicing guidelines such as the number coding system, drop-box system, or appointment system.
The step-by-step guide on how to file FBCAs online is available at https://bit.ly/SSSFuneral.
The SSS funeral benefit is a cash grant, ranging from P20,000 up to a maximum amount of P40,000, given to whoever paid for the burial expenses of a qualified deceased member.