We Filipinos are familial people. After a few days of being with a stranger, we comfortably treat them like a part of our family. This is especially true when hiring house help or Kasambahay — when hiring household helpers; we’re employing someone who we believe will help our family through thick and thin.

This relationship between household owner and household helper is one of the things that the framers of the Kasambahay law aimed to safeguard as well as to protect household helpers from hazardous work environment and employer abuse. The law safeguards many things about a kasambahay’s work environment, but here we’ll be talking about some SSS benefits household helpers will get upon registration into the system and rendering  at least one (1) month of work.

Sickness Benefits

Under the SSS, sickness benefit is provided to household helpers for the days they missed work due to sickness. In order to be qualified for this benefit, the household help must:

1. Have been unable to work due to sickness or disability for no less than (4) days
2. Have paid no less than three (3) months worth of contributions to SSS within 12 months before  the semester of sickness or disability
3. The household help has used up all allowable leaves
4. Has notified their employer about their sickness within 5 days after the start of the sickness or injury

Retirement Benefits

Household helpers with an active SSS membership can avail of retirement benefits once they reach 60 years old so that they may enjoy their twilight years without worry of living expenses. This benefit can be taken as a monthly pension or a lump sum amount depending on the choice of the SSS member. To avail of this benefit, the member must:

1. Be at least 60 years old (optional retirement) and no longer employed or 65 years old (mandatory retirement) whether employed or not.
2. Should have paid at least 120 monthly (10 years) contributions before the semester of retirement to qualify for monthly retirement pensions.
3. If contributions are less than 120 monthly, retirement pay would be  given as lump sum with an option to continue paying to avail for the monthly pensions.

Death and Funeral Benefits

Death is a very painful event for those who are left behind, especially for the family of household helpers who die without seeing their loved one. But household helpers with an active SSS membership can continue to take care of their family even after death with the help of death and funeral benefits that can be availed from SSS. In order to avail of funeral and death benefits, the member must:

1. For funeral benefits: the household helper must have been reported for coverage by their employer even if no contributions have been paid yet
2. For death benefits: the household helper must have paid at least 36 months of contribution before the semester of death so that the family may receive a monthly pension from SSS
3. If the household helper pays less than 36 months of contributions before the semester of death, the family will receive a lump sum amount.

Registering your Kasambahay through the Kasambahay Unified Registration System (URS)

To make registration into SSS, Pag-ibig, and Philhealth easier for both employer and household helper, the government created the Kasambahay Unified Registration System. This system ensures that the household helper will be registered as a member in all three agencies through one registration instead of three.

To register through the Kasambahay URS:

1.  Household helpers, with the help of their employers,  should fill up the KASAMBAHAY UNIFIED REGISTRATION FORM (you can download the form here)
2. Once filled up, the household helper can take the form to any branch of the SSS, pag-ibig, or Philhealth. It is advisable to bring an original copy/ certified true copy of birth certificate or passport.
3. Upon verification of the forms and documents by the agency, the house helper will receive their SSS, Pag-ibig, and Philhealth numbers.