Quick answer: SSS maternity benefit computation takes three steps: (1) find your Monthly Salary Credit (MSC) for each of the last contributions, (2) add your 6 highest MSCs in the qualifying window and divide by 180 to get the daily allowance, and (3) multiply by your leave days (105 for a live birth). The most anyone can get is ₱70,000. Or let the SSS maternity benefit calculator do it →
This guide is about the formula. If you want to know whether you qualify, read the qualifying period guide. If you want to file, see how to avail the maternity benefit.
Step 1: Find your Monthly Salary Credit (MSC)
Your MSC is the bracketed figure your SSS contributions are based on, in steps of ₱500 from ₱5,000. Employees can look it up in the SSS contribution table from their monthly pay. Voluntary and self-employed members choose their own MSC and pay 15% of it, so a ₱1,500 monthly payment is an MSC of ₱10,000.
For maternity, the MSC used is capped at ₱20,000. Contributions above that go to the Mandatory Provident Fund and do not raise your maternity benefit.
Step 2: Compute the Average Daily Salary Credit (ADSC)
SSS takes the six highest MSCs in the 12-month period before the semester of your childbirth, adds them up and divides by 180:
ADSC = (Sum of 6 highest MSCs) ÷ 180
If all six are the same, this simplifies to MSC ÷ 30. The 12-month window is explained in detail in the qualifying period guide.
Step 3: Multiply by your leave days
| Situation | Days |
|---|---|
| Live birth (normal or cesarean) | 105 |
| Live birth, solo parent | 120 |
| Miscarriage / emergency termination | 60 |
Total benefit = ADSC × number of days
The law gives a live-birth mother the option to add 30 more days of leave without pay. SSS does not pay those days.
Worked examples at different salaries
| Monthly salary / payment | MSC counted | Daily allowance | 105 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₱14,000 salary | ₱14,000 | ₱466.67 | ₱49,000 |
| ₱20,000 salary | ₱20,000 | ₱666.67 | ₱70,000 |
| ₱25,000 salary | ₱20,000 (capped) | ₱666.67 | ₱70,000 |
| ₱40,000 salary | ₱20,000 (capped) | ₱666.67 | ₱70,000 |
| ₱1,500 voluntary payment | ₱10,000 | ₱333.33 | ₱35,000 |
| ₱750 voluntary payment | ₱5,000 | ₱166.67 | ₱17,500 |
Two of these are worth calculating by hand:
- Salary of ₱14,000: ADSC = (₱14,000 × 6) ÷ 180 = ₱466.67, then ₱466.67 × 105 = ₱49,000.
- Voluntary member paying ₱1,500: the MSC is ₱1,500 ÷ 0.15 = ₱10,000. ADSC = (₱10,000 × 6) ÷ 180 = ₱333.33, then × 105 = ₱35,000.
What if the six MSCs are different?
Most people’s MSC changes during the year, for example after a raise. Then you pick the six highest and add them up. Say your MSC was ₱12,000 for three months in the window and ₱14,000 for the other three:
- Sum = (₱12,000 × 3) + (₱14,000 × 3) = ₱78,000
- ADSC = ₱78,000 ÷ 180 = ₱433.33
- Live birth: ₱433.33 × 105 = ₱45,500
What if you have fewer than six contributions?
You qualify with at least 3 contributions in the window, but the formula adds only the contributions that exist. With three contributions at an MSC of ₱10,000, the sum is ₱30,000, the daily allowance is ₱166.67 and the 105-day benefit is ₱17,500, half of what six contributions would give. The calculator has a field for this. Paying more months before the semester starts raises your benefit. SSS counts only contributions paid before the semester of contingency.
How to compute the benefit for a miscarriage
A miscarriage or emergency termination of pregnancy is paid for 60 days using the same daily allowance and the same 3-contribution rule. At an MSC of ₱12,000:
- ADSC = (₱12,000 × 6) ÷ 180 = ₱400
- Benefit = ₱400 × 60 = ₱24,000
Solo parents and the 7-day allocation
A qualified solo parent gets 120 days, so at the maximum MSC the benefit is ₱80,000. A live-birth mother may also allocate up to 7 days of her leave to the child’s father or an alternate caregiver. The total benefit does not change, but at the maximum MSC ₱4,666.67 of it is for the caregiver’s days and ₱65,333.33 for your remaining 98 days.
The old “cesarean = more days” rule
Under the previous law, a cesarean delivery paid more days than a normal one. RA 11210 removed that distinction: every live birth gets 105 days regardless of the delivery method.
Related reading
- SSS maternity benefit calculator
- How to avail the ₱70K maternity benefit
- SSS maternity qualifying period
- SSS sickness benefit, which uses a similar ADSC formula
Paying your own contributions? See the SSS voluntary contribution table to choose an MSC that maximises your maternity benefit.
Sources: RA 11210 (Expanded Maternity Leave Act), RA 11199 Sec. 8(n) on the ADSC (lawphil.net) and the SSS maternity benefit page. The ₱20,000 MSC ceiling for maternity is taken from SSS guidance as indexed; confirm with SSS. For estimation only.