The Social Security System (SSS) reminds its members and covered employers that the deadlines for filing Sickness Notifications (SN), Sickness Benefit Applications (SBA), and Sickness Benefit Reimbursement Applications (SBRA) for illnesses or injuries occurring on March 1, 2020, will be extended until all types of community quarantines in the country are lifted.
SSS President and CEO Aurora C. Ignacio said in an issued statement that the SSS implemented the extension since May 2020 to help members and covered employers avoid a reduction in their sickness benefits or have rejected claims.
“We understand the current situation that our stakeholders are facing. This is the reason why we provided these more flexible guidelines in their favor,” Ignacio said.
Under normal circumstances, employee members must submit their Sickness Notification Forms to their employers within five (5) calendar days. Employers must submit these forms to the SSS within five (5) calendar days after its receipt from their employees. Self-employed and Voluntary members must submit their Sickness Benefit Application Forms to the SSS within five (5) calendar days after the start of confinement, while OFW members are given 35 calendar days to do so after the start of confinement.
Employees now have 60 calendar days after the community quarantine is lifted to submit their SN Forms for home confinement to their employers, due to the extension of the filing period.
Employers are also given 60 calendar days after the receipt of the said forms to submit them to the SSS. If the country is still on community quarantine on the last day of submission, the employer may still submit the said form within 60 days after the lifting of the community quarantine.
Likewise, Self-employed, Voluntary, and Overseas Filipino Worker (SE/VM/OFW) members are given 60 calendar days to submit their SBA Forms for home confinement to the SSS after the lifting of the community quarantine.
Moreover, Sickness Benefit claims for home and hospital confinement of SE/VM/OFW members and employed members for employer reimbursement claims will not be reduced or denied if the deadline of the filing period falls on 01 March 2020 until the end of the community quarantine. They may still file their sickness benefit claims within 60 calendar days after the lifting of the community quarantine.
The extension follows SSS Circular No. 2020-004-b, which can be accessed at https://bit.ly/CircSicExt.
Sickness Benefit is a daily cash allowance paid to a qualified member for the number of days he/she is unable to work due to sickness or injury.
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