How much is the maximum SSS pension in the Philippines?
The SSS pension in the Philippines is an important source of financial security for many Filipinos, especially those who are retired or near retirement age. With this in mind, it’s essential to understand how much the maximum SSS pension can be and what factors determine its amount.
Overview Of the Social Security System In The Philippines
The Social Security System (SSS) in the Philippines is a government-run program designed to protect members of the workforce from economic insecurity. It provides coverage for health, disability, and death benefits as well as retirement pensions.
The maximum pension benefit under the SSS scheme is dependent upon the length of time one has been contributing to the system and the total number of credited years of service.
The retirement age in the Philippines is set at 60 years for optional retirement and 65 years for technical retirement. There are special provisions for certain occupations: underground or surface mineworkers can retire at 50 years (optional) or 60 years (technical), while racehorse jockeys can retire at 55 years.
Also Read: How Much Can I Contribute To Avail SSS Pension?
Eligibility Requirements For SSS Pension Benefits
In order to receive the SSS pension in the Philippines, applicants must meet certain qualifying requirements. These include:
- Having at least 120 months of valid SSS contributions.
- A minimum salary credit per month for 20 years or more prior to retirement age.
- Meeting all payment eligibility criteria as set by SSS, such as having made a total contribution amount not lower than the required 15% of their basic salary.
- Not exceeding the annual and monthly contribution limits stated by SSS in the respective SSS Contribution Tables.
For disability pensions, applicants must submit medical proof that he/she is permanently disabled due to illness or injury, which disqualifies them from working again. Lastly, a dependent’s pension requires documentation such as a marriage certificate (for widows) or birth certificate (for orphans).
Applicants should be aware that all claims will be verified by the Social Security System before any disbursement is made. As such it is important to ensure that all necessary documents are submitted accurately and within the specified timeframe in order to avoid delays in processing applications.
You may also like: How To Apply For SSS Pension Loan In Philippines?
How SSS Pension Benefits Are Calculated?
SSS pension benefits are provided to qualified members in the Philippines. The amount of an SSS pension is determined by a calculation based on the member’s total number of credited years and contribution payments.
To be eligible for benefits, a person must have at least 120 months or 10 years of contributions. Those with fewer than ten years will receive proportionally lower amounts depending on their individual record.
Monthly pension is calculated using the following formula, with the highest result being the final amount:
- 300 + (20% x AMSC) + (2% x AMSC) x (CYS – 10) + 1,000
- 40% x AMSC + 1,000
Where:
- AMSC (Average Monthly Salary Credit) – the average of all monthly salary credits during the period of coverage
- CYS (Credited Years of Service) – the total number of years with valid contributions
Let’s apply this to a practical example: Consider a worker who has been employed from age 15 to 65 (50 years total) and consistently earned P50,000 per month throughout their career. However, SSS contributions are capped at the maximum Monthly Salary Credit (MSC), which is P35,000 in 2025.
This means that despite earning P50,000 monthly, the member’s SSS contributions and subsequent pension calculation would only be based on the maximum MSC of P35,000.
For this member with a 50-year contribution period and maximum MSC of P35,000, the pension calculation would be:
- First formula:
- 300 + (20% × 35,000) + (2% × 35,000) × (50 – 10) + 1,000
- 300 + 7,000 + 700 × 40 + 1,000
- 300 + 7,000 + 28,000 + 1,000
- = P36,300
- Second formula:
- 40% × 35,000 + 1,000
- = P15,000
Based on these calculations, the SSS would pay the higher amount, which is P36,300 per month. This represents the theoretical maximum SSS pension in 2025 for a member with 50 years of contributions.
Important note: Since January 2017, all SSS pensioners receive an additional P1,000 benefit on top of their monthly pension, which is already included in our calculations above. This P1,000 addition is now a permanent part of the pension formula.
A word of caution about inflation: The calculations presented here do not account for inflation over time. The purchasing power of your pension may decrease significantly by the time you retire. When planning for retirement, it’s advisable to adjust these figures for projected inflation rates and regularly reassess your retirement strategy as economic conditions change.
Furthermore, SSS pensioners also receive a 13th month pension payable every December, which effectively adds another monthly pension payment each year.
Note that in this article we’re primarily considering ONLY the basic SSS pension. However, your total retirement income can be increased through three important components:
- Basic SSS pension – based on your contributions up to the MSC ceiling
- Mandatory Provident Fund – additional benefits for higher-income earners whose salaries exceed the SSS contribution ceiling
- Booster program contributions – voluntary additional contributions that can significantly increase your retirement benefits
Conclusion
✅ Now you know not only what the maximum theoretical pension can be in the Philippines, but also how to calculate what pension you might receive based on your salary. For an even more convenient calculation, you can use the SSS Pension Calculator.
Remember: Planning for retirement early can significantly improve your financial security in your golden years. Make sure to regularly check your SSS contributions and consider making voluntary additional contributions through the Booster program to maximize your future pension benefits.
“The best time to start saving for retirement was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
– Financial wisdom
if i stop working ,ca’ i pay for the msc to complete atleast 20 years or more? thanks for your guidance and moral support for the benifit of all members.
pls.send me my contibution history ?
since the year 90s.
To God Be The Glory
Hello, we’re glad that our information is helping you!
If you have stopped working but want to continue contributing to SSS, you can continue to pay as a voluntary member. This is available to the self-employed, unemployed or those who were previously employed but are no longer working. As a voluntary member, you can choose your monthly installment amount based on your declared monthly wage credit.
i want to know the Average Monthly Salary Credit (AMSC) which is the last 60 months of contribution prior to retirement.
If i will stop paying my SSS Premium at age 55 due to termination from work and will wait until i will turn 60 years old without paying anymore, what will be my AMSC? will it be from age 50 to 55 which i paid? or from 55 to 60, which will be 0 since i will stop paying my premium?
Since you will not have any contributions between the ages of 55 and 60, these months will not be included in the AMSC calculation. Therefore, your AMSC will be based on contributions made during the period when you were actively paying premiums, namely from age 50 to 55.
Hi, I stopped working at the age of 32, but has made 120 monthly contributions. If I no longer made regular sss payments (say just 6 monthlh payments as voluntary member every year) will I still get the maximum retirement benefit?
You will still qualify for retirement benefits since you’ve met the minimum requirement of 120 contributions. However, to maximize your retirement benefit, consider maintaining regular voluntary contributions up until your retirement age.
Hi, I’m paying my SSS premium since 2018 till now but it’s not continuously, every year I paid only 3 times and some year is zero and some I paid the whole year, is it still calculated to reach the 120months to be eligible for the benefits?
Since you mentioned you have paid SSS premiums intermittently since 2018, I can confirm that yes, your contributions are still counted towards the 120-month requirement for benefits, even though they are not continuous. According to the official SSS website page, when there are gaps in contributions (months without payments), you can still be eligible for benefits. This is clearly stated on their website:
So while your payments may be irregular, with some years having only three payments and others having none or full payments, these contributions are still valid and accumulate towards your 120-month target. I would suggest checking your contribution history through your SSS online account to see exactly how many months you’ve accumulated so far.
Is it possible now to get a monthly pension of more than Php20,000? (assuming you pay the max allowable premium at least 5 years before retiring, total 40 yrs actively paying the premium)
i am expecting the maximum monthly pension, i have more than Php500,000 total amount of contribution, 304 total number of contributions, and my monthly sss contribution at the moment is 4,200 .. i still have 3 years to go before i reach 60, my target retirement, Lord God willing. Can you please give me the possible maximum amount of monthly pension in my case? Thank you.
You can use the SSS Pension Calculator available here to estimate your potential monthly pension. This tool will help you input your average monthly salary credit and years of service to get an estimate. However, please be cautious as the actual pension amount may vary due to factors like inflation adjustments, changes in SSS policies, and your actual contribution history. It’s always a good idea to consult with SSS representatives for the most accurate information.