Who and How to Receive Childbirth, Maternity, and Child Care Benefits: The Ministry Clarifies

Considering the citizens' interest regarding the designation, amount, application procedure, and deadlines of the state benefits granted for childbirth, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs presents the following:

• maternity benefit,
• one-time childbirth benefit,
• monthly 50,000 AMD support program for the birth of a third and subsequent children,
• care benefit until the child turns two years old.

In order to improve the demographic situation and encourage birth rates, financial support is provided to families with newborns through maternity benefits, one-time childbirth benefits, childcare supports until two years old, and others.

Maternity Benefit: Who and How Much is Granted?
Both individuals with employment relationships with employers and unemployed citizens are entitled to maternity benefits. For individuals in employment relationships with employers, the maternity and childbirth leave period defined by the RA Labor Code is 140 days, which includes 70 days of pregnancy and 70 days of postpartum recovery. In this case, the amount of maternity benefit is calculated based on the average monthly salary established by law.

For unemployed individuals, the maternity benefit is assigned based on a temporary incapacity certificate issued by a medical institution. The benefit amounting to 156,600 AMD is assigned if the application and necessary documents (passport, social security number, temporary incapacity certificate) are submitted to any territorial center of the Unified Social Service during the period of entitlement to maternity leave (140 days). No maternity benefit is assigned if the application is submitted after this period.

One-Time Childbirth Benefit: Payment Procedure and Amount
The parent, adoptive parent, or guardian of a child is entitled to a one-time childbirth benefit. The one-time childbirth benefit is assigned and paid if the parent and the newborn are registered at the residence address in Armenia and are present in the Republic of Armenia on the day of applying for the one-time childbirth benefit.

The amount of the one-time childbirth benefit for the first and second child is 300,000 AMD; for the third and fourth child, it is 1,000,000 AMD; and for the fifth and subsequent children, it amounts to 1,500,000 AMD. The one-time childbirth benefit is assigned if the application and necessary documents (passport, social security number, as well as the child's birth certificate and social security number) are submitted within 12 months (before the child's first birthday) after the birth of the newborn.

Citizens can apply either at any territorial center of the Unified Social Service or online via socservice.am.

Monthly 50,000 AMD for Birth of Third and Subsequent Children
In line with the priority of improving the demographic situation, a new program has been implemented to encourage the birth of a third and subsequent child within a family. Starting from January 1, 2022, a monthly support of 50,000 AMD is allocated for the third and subsequent children born until the child turns six years old. This means that families receive 50,000 AMD per month if they have at least 2 children, and their third and subsequent children were born after January 1, 2022.

Financial support is assigned if:

• The parent applying for the support is an RA citizen,
• As of the day of application, both the parent and the newborn are present in the Republic of Armenia,
• As of the day of application, the parent, the newborn, and the children considered while determining the child's number are registered in the state register of the population of the Republic of Armenia.

In cases where twins or multiple births occur, the fact of the higher-order birth is taken into account, and financial support is assigned for each of the newborns. Thus, if a family has 1 child and gives birth to twins, then in the presence of 3 children, financial support is allocated for each newly born child, meaning that the family will receive 100,000 AMD per month for six years.

Child Care Benefit Until Two Years Old: Assignment and Payment Procedure
The right to the childcare benefit until the child turns two years old is granted to:

• Parents on maternity leave defined by the RA Labor Code for children up to three years old until the child turns two,
• Parents registered and actually residing in rural areas (both employed and unemployed), until the child turns two, provided that they have been registered at the rural address for at least one year at the time of applying for childbirth or childcare benefits.

Employed parents receive the childcare benefit if the application and necessary documents are submitted within twelve months following the commencement of childcare leave.

Parents residing in rural areas whose child was born on or after July 1, 2020, are also entitled to the childcare benefit until the child turns two.

Childcare benefits for rural-residing parents are assigned from the first of the month following the child's 70th day, provided the parent has been registered for one year at the rural address before the child's birth and the application and necessary documents are submitted within twelve months following the child's 70th day.

For a rural-residing employee on childcare leave, a benefit of 57,200 AMD per month is provided. To assign this benefit, citizens can apply either at the territorial center of the Unified Social Service by providing a passport, social security number, as well as the child's birth certificate and social security number, or online via socservice.am.