The National Social Protection Agency clarified the procedure for assigning and paying maternity benefits within the framework of the state social insurance system.

The new rules are reflected in the norms of the Labor Code, the Law “On State Social Insurance,” and the resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers.

In accordance with Article 404 of the Labor Code, the procedure for assigning and paying benefits is determined by the government. As a development of this norm, the Law “On State Social Insurance” was adopted on December 9, 2025, introducing uniform requirements for insurance payments, including the minimum length of service. Based on the law, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a new regulation on the payment of temporary disability benefits, as well as benefits for pregnancy and childbirth.

The document provides for a differentiated amount of benefits depending on the insured’s length of service. According to the established procedure, payments are calculated as follows:

  • with an insurance period from 10 to 24 months – 75% of the average salary;
  • from 25 to 60 months – 85%;
  • 61 months and more – 100% of the average salary.

The Agency emphasized that the minimum amount of benefits – not less than 75% of the average salary – has been preserved, and the new rules do not contradict the Labor Code. At the same time, the mechanisms for assigning and paying benefits are assigned to the authority of the government.

Maternity benefits are insurance payments, not social assistance. The right to them is formed through participation in the social insurance system and payment of insurance premiums.

Until January 1, 2026, such benefits were mainly paid in budgetary organizations and were considered an obligation of the employer. According to the department, this did not ensure the connection between insurance premiums and the right to receive payments, and in some cases led to abuse, including short-term formal employment for the purpose of receiving benefits.

The changes do not restrict women’s social protection, but rather encourage formal employment and continuous participation in the insurance system, providing more stable social guarantees.

Previously, there was a requirement for at least six months of continuous work experience in the private sector, and the benefit amount was 75% of the average salary. Such an approach also corresponds to international practice.