SSS Pension Requirements for Voluntary Members in Philippines
The SSS Retirement Benefit applies to all SSS Members, including Employed Members (EE), Self-Employed Members (SE), Voluntary Members (VM), Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) and Non-Working Spouse (NWS).
To become eligible for SSS Pension, the SSS Members must meet the age criteria and eligibility requirements. If you are a voluntary member, you need to meet the requirements for the SSS Pension for voluntary members. Only then can you claim the SSS Pension as your retirement benefit from the SSS.
Who is Voluntary Member?
The Voluntary Member is a person who was previously covered in SSS Compulsory Coverage and has paid at least one contribution to SSS as an Employee or Self-Employed (SE) or Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW). Now the person is separated from their work and they wish to continue paying the contribution to maintain their SSS Coverage to preserve their right to full SSS Benefits in the future.
When these SSS Members separate from their Employer, their salary income is stopped but they still choose to continue paying contributions to the SSS, they become voluntary members.
Can Voluntary Members Get SSS Pension?
Many people have asked me if voluntary members can get SSS Pension, and my answer is “YES, the voluntary members can get SSS Pension after retirement if they meet required eligibility criteria for it.
You can estimate your SSS Pension using our SSS Pension Calculator.
Requirements for SSS Pension for Voluntary Members
Here I provide the minimum requirements to get SSS Pension for Voluntary Members as per the eligibility criteria set by the Philippines’ Social Security System.
Age Requirement
For Optional Retirement – The member must be minimum 60 year old and no longer employed or self-employed or working as an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW).
For Technical Retirement – The member must be minimum 65 year old irrespective of their employment status.
Contribution Requirement
The member must have paid at least 120 contributions to the SSS before the semester of their retirement. [The member is required to pay 1 contribution every month which becomes 12 contributions in a year and 120 contributions in 10 years. So, to be eligible for SSS pension, the member must have paid 10 years’ contributions.]
Voluntary Member Status
In the past, A voluntary member must have been covered by SSS as an Employee (EE) or Self-Employed (SE) or Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW). In addition, the member must have paid at least one contribution to SSS before switching to a Voluntary Member.
The person who meets the Age Requirement, Contribution Requirement and Voluntary Member Status Requirement, becomes eligible for SSS Pension Benefit after retirement.
Required Documents for SSS Pension Claim for Voluntary Members
To apply for SSS Pension Claim in the Philippines, the voluntary members must have all required documents. Here I provide complete details about documents needed to claim SSS Pension as under:
- SSS Retirement Claim Application Form
- Member’s or Claimant’s Photo and Signature Card if the member does not have a UMID Card
- Preferred Disbursement Account (to Receive SSS Pension Every Month)
- Claimant’s Identification Documents (ID Cards)
List of Valid IDs to provide for SSS Pension Claim
- Birth Certificate
Any of the following documents if birth certificate is not available
- Baptismal Certificate
- Driver’s License
- Passport
- PhilSys ID/ePhilID
- Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) card
- SSS Digitized ID
- Seaman’s Book(Seafarer’s Identification and Record Book)
- UMID Card
Any two of the following documents if any of the above mentioned documents are not available. Both the documents must have correct name and at least one document must have date of birth.
- GSIS card/Member’s Record/Certificate of Membership
- ATM Card (with cardholder’s name)
- Alien Certificate of Registration
- Bank Account Passbook
- Baptismal Certificate of child/ren
- Birth Certificate of child/ren
- Cert. of Licensure/Qualification Document from Maritime Industry Auth.
- Certificate of Confirmation issued by National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (formerly Office of Southern Cultural Community and Office of Northern Cultural Community)
- Certificate of Muslim Filipino Tribal Affiliation issued by National Commission on Muslim Filipinos
- Certificate of Non-Availability of Birth Records from the City or Municipal Civil Registrar or Philippine Statistic Authority/National Statistics Office or National Archives, for the alleged correct name/date of birth
- Company ID card
- Court Order granting petition for change of name or date of birth
- Court Order granting petition for correction of sex, if with erroneous entry of sex in Birth Certificate
- Credit card
- Firearm License card issued by Philippine National Police (PNP)
- Fishworker’s License issued by Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)
- Health or Medical Card
- Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG) Member’s Data Form/Transaction Card
- Homeowners Association ID Card
- ID card issued by LGUs (e.g. Barangay, Municipality or City)
- ID card issued by professional association recognized by PRC
- License ID issued by Philippine Racing Commission (PHILRACOM)
- Life Insurance Policy
- Marriage Contract/Certificate of Marriage
- Member’s copy of Personal Record (SS Form E-1, RS-1, OW-1, NW-1) duly received by the SSS where the correct sex is indicated
- Membership card issued by Private Co.
- National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Clearance
- Overseas Worker Welfare Administration (OWWA) card
- Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) ID card/Member Data Record
- Police Clearance
- Postal ID card
- School ID card
- Seafarer’s Registration Certificate issued by Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)
- Senior Citizen card
- Student Permit issued by Land Transportation Office (LTO)
- Taxpayer’s Identification Number (TIN) card
- Transcript of Records
- Voter’s Identification card or Affidavit/Certificate of Registration
How to Apply for SSS Pension Claim as a Voluntary Member
A voluntary member can apply for SSS Pension Claim online at My.SSS Member Portal or visit an SSS Branch to claim their pension in-person.
Apply for SSS Pension Online at My.SSS Portal
- Go to My.SSS Member Portal at SSS.Gov.PH.
- Login with your User ID and Password.
- Select Benefits or E-Services section.
- Click on Apply for Retirement Benefit option.
- Check personal info and update if required.
- Answer eligibility questions correctly.
- Choose Yes or No for the option to receive first 18-month pension at once as Lump Sum.
- Check your certificate statement and click on Submit.
- Soon you will receive a confirmation email containing the reference number that you can use to check SSS pension claim status.
Apply for SSS Pension at SSS Branch
- First of all, click here to Find an SSS Branch Near Me.
- Visit your nearest SSS Branch with all required documents and Retirement Claim Application Form.
- Go to the service desk and inform the executive that you want to claim SSS Pension Benefit.
- Provide your filled application form with required documents.
- Wait for the executive to verify your identity and eligibility for the retirement benefit claim.
- Soon the executive will submit your application form and issue a receipt/certificate statement with reference number.
- Collect the certificate statement and exit the SSS Branch.
After submitting your retirement benefit claim for SSS Pension, it will take a few days to process your application and approve it. When approved, you will receive an Email from SSS. The Email contains the expected date of your first pension credit to your disbursement account.
Conclusion:
All SSS members including voluntary members can claim Retirement Benefit Claim if they meet its requirements. Above I have explained all important information about requirements for SSS Pension for voluntary members in detail.
I have also mentioned the list of documents needed to claim pension benefit from SSS. In addition, I have explained the step-by-step process to apply for SSS Pension Claim in the Philippines. For more queries or questions, you can ask me in the comment section given below.
