Maternity and Parenthood Support 

1) Maternity benefit (peněžitá pomoc v mateřství/ PPM) 

Maternity benefit is a financial benefit provided before childbirth or straight after the baby is born. For the first 6 weeks after delivery it’s intended for the mother exclusively; later on, it can be received by the father provided he meets the requirements mentioned below. The amount of the benefit is calculated based on the person’s income, and the time period for the payment can be as follows:

• Starting from 8-6 week before the due date, for the total amount of 28 weeks (37 weeks with twins).
• Starting from the baby’s birth date, for the total amount of 22 weeks (31 week with twins). 
• Starting from 6 weeks after the baby is born,  for the total amount of 22 weeks.

You can’t receive the maternity benefit for less than 14 weeks, and it can’t be ended earlier than 6 weeks after delivery. 

The sum of the benefit is calculated as 70% of the reduced daily assessment base per calendar day. The daily assessment base is usually calculated based on the income within the previous 12 months. For self-employed people, it’s calculated based on the monthly insurance premiums during the assessed period of time.

The maximum amount of the benefit for 2024 is 53,910 CZK per month. 

You can use this calculator to calculate the approximate amount: https://www.penize.cz/kalkulacky/materska#materska

Conditions and Application Process:

The maternity benefit is a part of the sickness insurance. This type of insurance shouldn’t be confused with health insurance used to cover medical expenses. The sickness insurance is paid by the employer as part of the social insurance. Self-employed persons are entitled to maternity benefit only if they have been voluntarily paying the sickness insurance premiums for a specific amount of time. 

To qualify for the benefit, two conditions must be met: 1. The applicant must have sickness insurance covered for the benefit at the time of commencing the benefit or the protective period must still be in effect. 2. The period of sickness insurance before starting the benefit must have lasted at least 270 days in the last two years. In the case of self-employed persons, an additional condition must be met: 3. A minimum period of 180 days of sickness insurance in the last year.

If these conditions are met, visit your gynecologist during pregnancy, who will issue an application indicating the expected date of birth. This date will determine the start of maternity leave and the maternity benefit. 

You’d need to submit this form to your employer, and then it’ll be passed on to the relevant authorities. If you wish, or if you are self-employed, you can send the application form directly to the Czech Social Security Administration (CSSA/ ČSSZ). The CSSA has a month to process your application.

While receiving maternity benefit, working in the same job position for the same employer is not allowed. However, you can work in a different position or for a different employer. After the maternity benefit and maternity leave end, the woman has the right to return to her previous workplace in the same job position.