Maternity Benefits, 30th May 2016
Maternity benefit is payable to women in current employment or self-employment insured at PRSI Classes, A, E, H and S. Maternity is not payable on your spouse’s insurance. It is payable only where the mother is an insured person and satisfies the PRSI conditions on her own insurance record.
Who can qualify:
You will qualify for maternity benefit if you:
Are in employment which is covered by the Maternity Protection Act 1994 immediately before the first day of your maternity leave. The last day of insurable employment may be within 16 weeks of the expected day of birth of the baby, or are or have been self employed and satisy the PRSI contribution conditions.
Contribution Conditions:
You must have at least 39 weeks PRSI paid in the 12 months immediately before the first day of your maternity leave or 39 weeks PRSI paid since you first started work and at least 39 weeks PRSI paid or credited in the relevant tax year or 26 weeks paid in the relevant tax year and 26 weeks PRSI paid in the tax year prior to the relevant tax year.
If you are self employed you must have 52 qualifying PRSI contributions paid:
In the relevant tax year, or 52 Qualifying PRSI contributions paid in the tax year immediately prior to the relevant tax, or 52 qualifying PRSI contributions paid in the tax year immediately following the relevant tax
PRSI paid at Class A, E, H, S are deemed as qualifying contributions. You must take a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of 16 weeks before the end of the week in which the baby is due. If your baby is born later than expected and you have less than four weeks maternity leave remaining, you may be entitled to extend your maternity leave to ensure that you have a full or four weeks off following the birth.
Where maternity benefit has been in payment for a minimum period of 14 weeks, the balance of your payment may be postponed for up to 6 months if the child is hospitalised. The payment will resume within seven days following written notification of the discharge of the child from hospital. Your payment will be stopped if your work is insurable (paid) employmen6t during your maternity leave. The rate of maternity benefit is €230 per week.
Paternity Benefit:
From September 2016 a new 2 week paternity benefit will be introduced. The PRSI contributions and the rate of benefit will be the same as those for maternity benefit.
Insurance from employment in another country:
If you were previously insurably employed in a country covered by EU Regulations or in a country whith which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement and you have paid at least one full rate PRSI contribution in Ireland, you may combine your insurance record in that country with your Irish PRSI contribution in Ireland within 16 weeks of the end of the week in which your baby is du
For more information you can contact us @ info@mcfinancial.ie 01-8228022 or 087-9321882
