Women from Artsakh: Conditions and Process for Receiving Maternal Benefits Explained by Zarouhi Manucharyan

Individuals who have received temporary protection and have been forcibly displaced from Artsakh can apply for child care benefits starting from December 11. This was announced by Zarouhi Manucharyan, the press secretary of the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, during a press conference at the Humanitarian Center on December 9. She elaborated on the procedures for granting child care allowances, one-time childbirth allowances, and maternity benefits for children up to two years old.

According to her, the legislation in Armenia differentiates the granting of child care benefits based on whether the child was born before or after January 1, 2023. Accordingly, a temporary protected refugee will qualify for child care benefits for a child born prior to January 1, 2023, if the parent is on leave for child care from an employer in Armenia and both the parent and the child are registered in the state population register at their residence address in Armenia, with the child being in Armenia on the day of application.

For a child born on or after January 1, 2023, a refugee with temporary protection will be entitled to child care benefits regardless of whether the parent is on leave for child care. The leave condition will only be considered when determining the amount of the child care allowance. Furthermore, the law stipulates that the child care benefit for a temporary protected refugee will be granted and paid no earlier than October 1, 2023, provided that both the child and the parent are registered in the state population register at their residence address in Armenia.

Regarding the one-time childbirth allowance, the temporary protected refugee in Armenia can apply for it if both the parent and child are registered in the state population register at their residence address in Armenia and if a one-time childbirth allowance has not been granted in Artsakh. Applications will be accepted starting December 11.

“Lastly, concerning maternity benefits, a person can apply for maternity benefits in Armenia if they are registered in the state population register at their residence address in Armenia and have not received maternity benefits in Artsakh. If the person is not working and has been forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh during the period of entitlement to maternity leave and childbirth leave, which is 140 days, or within 70 days after the child's birth, they can apply for maternity benefits after December 11, 2023, within 140 days. Applications made after this period will not be eligible for maternity benefits,” stated Zarouhi Manucharyan, adding that the application for maternity benefits must be submitted to the Unified Social Service within the specified timeframe.

The Minister’s press secretary also informed that the application must include a temporary incapacity for work certificate issued by a medical institution in Armenia or a medical institution from when the person was in Artsakh; in the absence of this, the child’s birth certificate will be required. For employed mothers, maternity benefits will be calculated and paid by the employer in accordance with the general procedure.