PARENTAL LEAVE AND CARERS LEAVE: INTERNATIONAL PROVISION AND RESEARCH
Appendix 8: Other payments possible when paid post-natal leave is unavailable, or because of ineligibility*
|
Post-natal leave available by statute |
Other payments available when parents ineligible for paid post-natal leave |
|
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Unpaid parental only | One-off maternity allowance payment of A$4,000 (since July 06, moving to A$5,000 from July 07) for all children born, irrespective of mothers' employment status prior to the birth. The amount is spread evenly over a 14 wk period, and is now up to more than half the minimum rates of pay, and around 40% of average female full-time earnings. |
| Austria |
Paid maternity Paid parental |
Unemployed women are eligible for maternity payment only if they have completed 3 mths continuous employment or have been voluntarily health-insured for 12 months within the last 3 years |
| Belgium |
Paid maternity Paid paternity Paid parental |
No info, although a parental insurance scheme is now being developed that might eventually provide cover for parents ineligible for payments because of not being employed at the time |
| Denmark |
Paid maternity Paid paternity Paid parental |
Unemployed people are eligible to benefits from unemployment insurance or similar benefits ("activation measures") |
| Estonia |
Paid maternity Paid paternity Paid parental |
Parental payments for all families who meet the eligibility conditions for maternity or paternity leave (all employed mothers, including those on temp contracts of at least 3 mths; all employed fathers) - these payments not connected with whether the parents take parental leave. Parental benefit 45 wks, followed by child care benefit from then on until child is 3. |
| Finland |
Paid maternity Paid paternity Paid parental |
Eligibility for payments is not connected with employment status - depends on residency in Finland for at least 180 days, so payments are made to all parents. But the level of payment reflects employment - those not employed and those whose annual earnings are less than €6,513 before the birth get a minimum flat-rate payment of €15.20 a day (i.e. very low). For the home care leave (from end of parental leave until child is 3) a parent receives a basic allowance with add-ons for each pre-school and school age child, plus means-tested top-up. Avge home care allowance in 2004 per family was €337 a month. Also, some municipalities pay an extra top-up - in 2004 this averaged €205 a month in Helsinki. |
| Ireland |
Paid maternity Unpaid parental |
Eligibility for maternity benefit relies on meeting conditions related to Pay-Related Social Insurance eg 39 weeks employment in the 12 mths before the birth - so a woman could leave or be unemployed before the birth and still receive a benefit during the period of time maternity leave lasts |
| Italy |
Paid maternity Paid parental |
Eligibility for paid leaves relies on social security membership |
| Norway |
Paid maternity Unpaid paternity Paid parental |
Eligibility for paid maternity leave and paid parental leave for those employed for six of the last 10 months prior to delivery and who have earned at least half the Basic national insurance benefit payment over the previous year. Non-employed women receive a flat payment (currently corresponding to about €5,000). Payment for paternity leave is funded by employers. |
| Portugal |
Paid maternity Paid paternity Unpaid parental |
Parents of children with a disability entitled to a small cash benefit from social security while on childcare leave - unpaid for other parents. |
| United Kingdom |
Paid maternity Paid paternity Unpaid parental |
Maternity Allowance (MA - a social security payment) for 26 wks (39 wks re babies due from 1 April 07) from 11th week before wk when birth due (or from the day after the birth, if early). Paid at 90% of average wkly earnings to a max of £100 per wk. Eligibility: mothers recently but no longer employed, and to self-employed mothers. Earnings from any/all jobs must have averaged £30 gross per wk, over any 13 wks (i.e. not continuous) during the previous 66 wks up to and incl. the wk the baby is due. If the mother is ineligible for MA, then an Incapacity Benefit may be available, based on National Insurance contributions - paid from 6 wks before due date to 14 days after the birth. The maternity certificate is evidence of incapacity for work. Further, Income Support may be available for those ineligible for other payments, or where income during maternity leave falls short of their needs - an income-related benefit with maximum levels set each year by Govt. However, not payable if mother or partner has savings of £8,000, or works for 16 hrs a wk (mother) or 24 hrs a wk (partner). Alternatively if these working hrs are exceeded, there is the Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit. |
| United States | none | Family Medical Leave Act provides 12 weeks of unpaid leave only, for family or medical matters. Payments of about half of earnings available via Temporary Disability Insurance in Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Puerto Rico. More comprehensive paid family care leave in California - benefits funded from employee contributions |
Sources: Table 2 published in Moss and O'Brien (2006:56) and in Deven and Moss (2005); UK Government docs online at www.dti.gov.uk/files/file18061.pdf and www.dwp.gov.uk.advisers/ni17a/ma/index.asp .
* note that this information is not exhaustive - it represents what has been included in the above publications and omits countries for which the information was unavailable or not clear