SOMETIMES the filing of a death-benefit claim with the Social Security System (SSS) may be hampered by the circumstances of the member’s death. If a member dies under unusual conditions, certain documents may be required to support the death-benefit claim, and securing them could be a tedious process. Still, it has to be done. Last week I outlined the documents needed to file a death-benefit claim for a member who died in a sea mishap. Today I will discuss the documents needed for a member who is missing and believed to have died during a disaster or has been missing for four or seven years, as well as the procedure to follow if a member dies abroad.
If a member is missing and believed to have died during a calamity, a certificate of missing person from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) shall serve as the death certificate for the purpose of claiming benefits. This is in accordance with the national policy on the management of dead and missing persons during emergencies and disasters that the Department of Health issued through Administrative Order 2007-0018. In the wake of Supertyphoon Yolanda (international code name Haiyan) and other typhoons, the NDRRMC issued certificates that served as the death certificates of missing members.
If a member is missing and his or her disappearance has been reported to the police, the police investigation report that was conducted immediately after the disappearance and a confirmation report from the police or other government agency after four years from the date of disappearance should be submitted when making a death-benefit claim with the SSS. If there is no police investigation report, the claim may be made after seven years.
If a member died abroad and his or her death was reported to the Philippine embassy or consulate office, the death certificate issued by the Vital Statistics Office/County of the host country and certified by the embassy or consulate office is the acceptable supporting document of death. If this death certificate was transmitted to the National Statistics Office (NSO) by the Philippine embassy or consulate office, then the NSO-issued death certificate is also acceptable. If the member’s death was not reported to the Philippine embassy or consulate office, the death certificate issued by the host country’s Vital Statistics Office/County will also be accepted.
The supporting documents must be attached to the death-claim application form, along with the filer’s affidavit (form supplied by the SSS); accident report/report of death (SS Form BPN-105), if the cause of death is work-related; single savings-account passbook, automated teller machine or cash-card enrolment form; and two valid identification cards of the claimant.
Getting these documents ready might be tiresome, but they help ensure that the rightful beneficiaries get the benefits.
****
For more information, call the SSS 24-hour call center at (632) 920-6446 to 55, Monday to Friday, or send an e-mail to member_relations@sss.gov.ph.
Susie G. Bugante is the vice president for public affairs and special events of the SSS. Send comments about this column to susiebugante.bmirror@gmail.com.