Pregnancy benefit

What it means

Pregnancy allowance is a sickness insurance benefit paid by the Social Insurance Agency to an insured pregnant woman. Entitlement starts from a statutory week before the expected due date and lasts until the birth or the start of maternity benefit, whichever comes first.

It is meant to offset the extra costs of pregnancy and is paid alongside salary, not instead of it. The woman can keep working and her employer does not reduce her pay. The amount is calculated from the daily assessment base, as with other sickness benefits.

To qualify, she must be covered by sickness insurance when applying and have the required period of insurance within a set period before pregnancy. Employees, self-employed women and voluntarily insured women can claim it, provided they pay sickness insurance.

How it works in practice

Employees often ask us whether they must tell their employer about the pregnancy allowance. The claim goes directly to the Social Insurance Agency with a doctor’s confirmation, and the employer is not involved. It is still a good idea to inform the employer so they can plan for the later start of maternity leave.

For self-employed women, we check that they pay sickness insurance and have the required insurance period. If a self-employed woman deregistered shortly before pregnancy or had arrears, she may not be entitled. These points are worth checking well in advance.

The allowance is not taxable income and no contributions are paid on it. The employer therefore does not process it through payroll and it does not appear on the payslip. Once a woman goes on maternity leave, the pregnancy allowance is replaced by maternity benefit.

What to watch out for

The most common mistake is applying late. The allowance is not paid retrospectively without limit, and a late claim loses part of the entitlement. The application should be made as soon as possible once the statutory week of pregnancy is reached.

Rules on overlapping benefits must be observed. If a woman falls ill during pregnancy and receives sickness benefit, the pregnancy allowance continues, but it is not combined with maternity benefit. If unsure, it is best to check entitlement directly with a Social Insurance Agency branch.