One of the benefits that the Philippine Social Security System provides is the Death Benefit.
Death Benefit is a cash benefit paid either in monthly pension or lump sum to the beneficiaries of a deceased SSS member.
Teresita Cahulao, a beneficiary of her late husband’s death benefits from the SSS, had been receiving P4,000 monthly pension since 1992. She became eligible to receive the pension as the primary beneficiary of her husband who was a member of the SSS and who died in 1990 due to a stroke.
The monthly pension that she was receiving was a huge help to her and her seven children. However, her monthly pension was stopped in 2006.
Teresita said that when she applied for her SSS Pensioner’s ID, she was asked if she already has a new partner, and she admitted that she is seeing someone else. Then she was told that she could no longer receive her monthly pension from SSS for having a new partner.
Will your SSS Pension be cut off if you remarry or have a new partner?
Based on the SSS Office Order No. 2010-013, a “surviving spouse” who re-marries or who enters into a “live-in” relationship with another person is disqualified from receiving the monthly death benefit.
And according to SSS Member Communications and Assistance Department manager Fernando Nicolas,
Ang SSS po ay isang social insurance so ang sinusuportahan namin, ang binibigyan namin ng tulong ay ‘yung mga naka-depende doon sa miyembrong namatay,”
Therefore, the answer is yes. If you are a beneficiary of SSS and you remarry or enter into a new relationship, your pension or death benefits from your deceased SSS member-husband will be stopped, canceled, or cut off.
But before your pension is canceled, SSS conducts a series of investigations first. Oftentimes, the relatives of the deceased SSS member submit complaints to the Social Security System when the beneficiary is already seeing someone else.
SSS Visayas West One Division head Dr. Lilani Benedian said,
It’s not easy for us to automatically suspend. Cancel. No. It has to be supported with investigation. The number one na mag-reklamo dito sa amin are those relatives. Most especially the in-laws and the neighbors. Of course, once they have complaints in our office, we have to act on it.”
In Teresita Cahulao’s case, SSS said that they conducted an investigation and they found out that relatives of her deceased husband filed a complaint.
Will I receive my monthly pension again if I stop seeing my new partner?
According to the SSS, death benefits under the clause cannot be restored once revoked. It is a lifetime policy.
SSS Member Communications and Assistance Department manager Fernando Nicolas said,
“For example, nag-sama kayo nobyo ng isang taon tapos humiwalay na kayo, then after that year, you will inform SSS na, hoy, separated na ako doon sa aking kinasama…Hindi na namin ibabalik ‘yung pension.”
Therefore, the answer is no. You will no longer receive the same benefits again even if you part ways with your new partner.
Click here to read: SSS Death and Funeral Benefit Application and Requirements
Watch GMA News’ 24 Oras Report on this issue.
I am deaf mute sign language have paralysis pain since 2014
SSS pensioner po ung pnsan ko.. Nmatay asawa nya..my dalawa syang anak dun nmatay nyang asawa.. Pag po b nag asawa ulit ang pnsan ko.. Pati po ba pension ng mga anak nya maka cut din po
That is very primitive, it is against the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The pension money belongs to the deceased spouse, not to the SSS nor to the Philippine Government.
Upon the death of the SSS member, it passes to the survivor spouse by the law of succession, and the survivor spouse will enjoy the pension until he or she dies.
If the SSS and the Philippine Government have anything of any power over the transit of the deceased spouse’s pension to the survivor spouse, it should not at all have to do with his or her marrying again – but perhaps owing to some criminal act committed by the survivor spouse, which will land him or her in jail for many years.
A widow or widower has a fundamental right to remarriage, but a person guilty of a crime that lands him in jail for many years forfeits his fundamental right to marriage, and also to receive pension even from the deceased spouse.
No need to bring in dependency whatsoever, etc.
If the purpose is preserve more money for future pensioners, then the SSS should think up ways and means to make money from the trust fund of the SSS members, like by smart investments – but definitely not by depriving survivor spouses of the pension of their deceased SSS member spouses.
Does the policy on survivor’s pension disqualification also apply to the living husband of the deceased member?
May kakilala po aq na nagpension pa rn khit may live in partner na sya at may anak n sila 1.Bakit hanggang ngayon tuloy pa rn pension nia?4 years old na ank nla.
kelangan kasi may magreport sa SSS.