Where can I apply for maternity allowance?
Voluntary or compulsorily insured expectant mothers can apply for maternity benefits directly to the statutory health insurance company with which they are insured. In order to receive an employer’s allowance, a medical certificate confirming the expected date of delivery must also be given to the employer. Expectant mothers who have family insurance or private insurance do not apply for maternity pay to the health insurance company, but to the competent maternity pay office of the Federal Insurance Office.
In this case, the Federal Insurance Office pays the maternity benefit and not the (statutory) health insurance company. There are certain requirements to apply for maternity pay. Either the mother’s employment relationship must exist, have been terminated during pregnancy in a permissible manner, or an employment relationship must be taken up after the start of the protection period.
Another requirement is that the expectant mother is a member of a statutory health insurance fund and is entitled to sickness benefit. This means that only voluntarily or compulsorily insured members of the statutory health insurance funds are entitled to maternity pay. If the requirements are met, the earliest you can apply for maternity pay is seven weeks before the calculated date of birth of the child.
To do this, you first have the doctor issue a certificate confirming the expected date of birth. Your health insurance company will send you an application form which you fill out and sign with your personal details, bank account details and precise information about the (current) employment relationship and employer. Both documents will be submitted to the statutory health insurance company. You can also apply for an employer’s allowance by presenting your boss with the medical document showing the calculated date of birth. Expectant mothers are also entitled to parental allowance.
What are the maximum and minimum maternity benefits?
In principle, the amount of maternity pay is based on the average net salary of the last three calendar months for which the payroll has been settled. This does not take into account one-off payments such as vacation or Christmas bonuses.The calculation must take into account the wage tax as it was to be calculated or withheld by the employer in the calculation period. The fund pays a maximum of 13 euros maternity allowance per day.
If an employee earns more than 13 Euros net per day, i.e. more than 390 Euros per month, the employer is obliged to pay the difference as a supplement to the maternity benefit. Normally, this is the higher share. That is why the application for the employer’s allowance is very important when applying for maternity pay.
If one earns on average less than 390 Euros net per month, the maternity allowance from the health insurance company is lower. Those not covered by statutory health insurance are entitled to a reduced maternity allowance of a maximum of 210 euros from the Federal Insurance Office. This applies to female employees with private health insurance and to women with family insurance for marginal employment.
In order to calculate the maternity benefit, the deductions of the last three months before the maternity protection period are required. The net monthly wage for these three months is converted to the calendar day. For example, if an expectant mother earns 2,750 euros gross during this period, this makes a net wage of 1776 euros.
In this example, we assume that the woman was paid exactly the same amount in each of the three months. Invoice: (1776 Euro x 3)/90 = 59.20 Euro That makes 59.20 Euro per calendar day. Since the health insurance company only pays 13 Euro per calendar day, the employer pays 46.20 Euro.
In most cases, the major part of the maternity benefit is paid by the employer. The statutory health insurance pays a maximum of 390 Euro per month. If the expectant mother earns more than 390 Euro per month in the calculation period, the employer is obliged to pay the difference in the form of a supplement to the maternity benefit.
