The platform opened, for the special provision of maternity protection for self-employed mothers. From today, freelancers, self-employed women and farmers receive, like employees, the special maternity benefit. The special allowance is given for a period of 9 months and is equivalent to the minimum wage which is currently 830 euros. In other words, they will receive a total of 7,470 euros. If the birth allowance is included, the total amount reaches up to 10,970 euros or up to 1,200 euros per month.
Here are 12 Questions – Answers prepared by the Ministry of Labor regarding the Special Maternity Allowance for freelancers, self-employed and farmers for the transfer of the right to fathers.
Special Maternity Protection Benefit: The application platform for self-employed women and farmers has opened
1. Who are entitled to the special maternity benefit?
From today, freelancers, self-employed women and farmers receive the special maternity protection benefit. The special allowance is given for a period of 9 months and is equivalent to the minimum wage which is currently 830 euros. That is, they will receive a total of 7,470 euros. In fact, if we include the birth allowance, which for the first child is 2,400 euros and reaches 3,500 euros for the fourth child, the self-employed mother receives up to 10,970 euros for the 9 months. Thus, the monthly income starts from 1,100 euros and reaches 1,200 euros depending on the amount of the birth allowance.
2. What has been the case so far for self-employed women?
The self-employed until now receive a one-off pregnancy/childbirth allowance after the birth as follows: Self-employed workers receive from the OAEE 600 euros, female farmers 486 euros and engineers, lawyers and health workers (ETAA) the amount of 800 euros.
3. What applies to employed mothers?
Employed mothers are covered accordingly with the special maternity benefit. In fact, less than two years ago, in November 2022, the time for payment of the benefit was extended from the 6 months that applied at the time to 9 months. As a result, the additional benefit, from the increase in the time for payment of the benefit and the increase in the minimum wage from 713 euros in November 2022 to 830 euros today, will reach 3,200 euros. Benefit that increases with the maternity allowance that starts at 2,400 euros for the first child and reaches 3,500 euros for the fourth child.
4. I am self-employed, what do I have to do to receive the special maternity protection benefit?
In order for a self-employed person, i.e. a self-employed person, a self-employed person or a farmer, to receive the special maternity protection benefit, she must follow the following steps:
1st: She must have received the e-EFKA maternity allowance (pregnancy and delivery) and submit the application for the special maternity allowance within two months from the day after its payment.
2nd: The application for granting the special maternity protection benefit is submitted to the address: https://parentalbenefits.dypa.gov.gr.
3rd: In the cases where the applicant is not registered in the Digital Register of the D.YP.A, it is necessary to register on the new platform through a special form available for this purpose. Entry to the special form is carried out using TAXIS and AMKA codes.
4th: To be informed about insurance when submitting the application and when receiving the benefit.
5th: Especially for mothers who have had a child through the adoption process, the application to the D.YPA.A. submitted within 2 months from the day after the child’s integration into the family or the finality of the court decision.
5. When does the payment of the special maternity benefit for self-employed workers begin?
The payment of the special maternity protection benefit starts on the first of the month following the application. It is noted that the special provision of maternity protection is tax-free, non-assignable and non-seizable in the hands of the State in a broad sense or of third parties, it is not subject to any fee, levy or other retention in favor of the State or e-EFKA.
6. What applies if I am not up to date on insurance?
If the beneficiary is not aware of insurance when submitting the application, a notification appears that “the request cannot be submitted due to lack of insurance awareness”, so that they can immediately pay off their debts. With the payment, the EFKA system is immediately updated and by extension the DYPA through the interoperability of the systems, so the insured returns to the platform and will submit the request normally.
In the event that the insured pays the due insurance contributions, she can apply online for the reinstatement of the benefit retroactively from the month it was interrupted. In any case, however, the total period of payment of the special maternity protection benefit, after deferred payment of the insurance contributions, cannot exceed 12 months.
7. If I maintain an employed position at the same time, what applies?
The mother, who maintains an employed position at the same time, receives the subsidy as an employed person. In the event that during the leave she loses the status of tenant, then for the remaining period of time she may receive the special benefit, i.e. with the status of non-tenant, if she submits a relevant request to the D.YP.A.
8. Which other sub-categories of self-employed receive the special maternity benefit?
The right to the special provision of maternity protection for self-employed persons is extended to a presumed mother, who obtains a child through the process of surrogacy, to a self-employed person, who adopts a child from the time the child joins the family and up to the age of 8, and to persons of the same sex couples after the beneficiary of the special benefit has been declared with a joint declaration of the spouses to e-EFKA.
9. Can I transfer the special maternity benefit?
Yes. The mother is entitled to transfer up to 7 months of the special maternity protection benefit to the father, regardless of whether he is employed under private law or is self-employed or a farmer, as long as he is insured.
A necessary condition for the transfer to be valid is that the mother of the child has previously received at least the first 2 months of the special benefit. The same applies to same-sex couples after the beneficiary of the special benefit has been declared with a joint declaration of the spouses to e-EFKA.
10. Why was the right of retroactivity only given to those mothers who had a child from September 24, 2023 onwards?
The retroactivity of 14 weeks was given to cover those mothers who had already given birth and were going through the caesarean section when the law was passed.
The period of 14 weeks is not arbitrary, but was set according to the European Directive 2010/41. It is the period defined by the EU legislator as the minimum that a self-employed woman is allowed to temporarily interrupt her profession due to pregnancy or maternity, given that she cannot take a specific leave due to the nature of the profession. She is self-employed without an employer and therefore does not qualify as a license in the strict sense.
11. Who pays the benefit?
The special maternity protection benefit for self-employed women is financed by the former Special Unemployment Account for the Self-Employed and Self-Employed of the DYPA, to the purpose of which the granting of maternity benefits is added and is now renamed the Special Account for the Self-Employed and Self-Employed. The special provision of maternity protection for female farmers is financed from the state budget.
12. When does the subsidy stop?
The subsidy is interrupted in the event that during the special benefit the insured loses her professional status, is not informed about insurance or submits a relevant request in this regard.