The Fede\u00adral Minis\u00adtry for Fami\u00adly Affairs has pre\u00adsen\u00adted plans to reform the paren\u00adtal allo\u00adwan\u00adce sche\u00adme. The new regu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adons are set to app\u00adly to all par\u00adents who\u00adse child\u00adren are born from Novem\u00adber 2027 onwards. The draft bill is curr\u00adent\u00adly still under\u00adgo\u00ading inter-minis\u00adte\u00adri\u00adal con\u00adsul\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon and has the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre not yet been passed.<\/p>\n
Argu\u00adab\u00adly the most signi\u00adfi\u00adcant ele\u00adment of the draft: the maxi\u00admum peri\u00adod for which basic paren\u00adtal allo\u00adwan\u00adce can be clai\u00admed is to be redu\u00adced from the cur\u00adrent 14 months to 12 months. In future, for paren\u00adtal allo\u00adwan\u00adce to be gran\u00adted at all, each parent must take at least three months\u2019 paren\u00adtal lea\u00adve. Par\u00adents are free to divi\u00adde the remai\u00adning six months bet\u00adween them\u00adsel\u00adves or take them tog\u00ade\u00adther. As befo\u00adre, sin\u00adgle par\u00adents will be entit\u00adled to up to 12 months\u2019 paren\u00adtal allo\u00adwan\u00adce and are exempt from the mini\u00admum par\u00adti\u00adci\u00adpa\u00adti\u00adon rule.<\/p>\n
At the same time, the amounts are set to rise slight\u00adly. The mini\u00admum month\u00adly amount is to be increased from 300 euros to 330 euros. This will pri\u00adma\u00adri\u00adly affect par\u00adents on very low inco\u00admes or with no inco\u00adme pri\u00ador to the birth. Accor\u00adding to the draft, the maxi\u00admum amount will rise to 1,900 euros per month; it curr\u00adent\u00adly stands at 1,800 euros. The inco\u00adme thres\u00adhold for exclu\u00adsi\u00adon from paren\u00adtal allo\u00adwan\u00adce remains at a taxa\u00adble annu\u00adal inco\u00adme of 175,000 euros for couples.<\/p>\n
Anyo\u00adne app\u00adly\u00ading for paren\u00adtal allo\u00adwan\u00adce today will gene\u00adral\u00adly recei\u00adve 65 per cent of the net inco\u00adme they would have ear\u00adned during the twel\u00adve months pri\u00ador to the birth. The sta\u00adte pays a mini\u00admum of 300 euros and a maxi\u00admum of 1,800 euros per month. In addi\u00adti\u00adon to the stan\u00addard basic paren\u00adtal allo\u00adwan\u00adce, the\u00adre are two fur\u00adther options:<\/p>\n
Sin\u00adce the chan\u00adges intro\u00addu\u00adced in 2024, both par\u00adents may only cla\u00adim basic paren\u00adtal allo\u00adwan\u00adce at the same time for a maxi\u00admum of one month up to the child\u2019s twelfth month of life. Pre\u00adma\u00adtu\u00adre babies and mul\u00adti\u00adple births are exempt from this rule.<\/p>\n
Par\u00adents of pre\u00adma\u00adtu\u00adre babies are entit\u00adled to one or more addi\u00adtio\u00adnal months\u2019 paren\u00adtal allo\u00adwan\u00adce, depen\u00adding on the degree of pre\u00adma\u00adtu\u00adri\u00adty. The con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adon is that the child must have been born at least six weeks befo\u00adre the due date. The amount is cal\u00adcu\u00adla\u00adted based on the num\u00adber of weeks by which the child was born prematurely.<\/p>\n
Employ\u00aders are not enti\u00adre\u00adly excluded from the paren\u00adtal allo\u00adwan\u00adce pro\u00adcess. They have sta\u00adtu\u00adto\u00adry obli\u00adga\u00adti\u00adons to coope\u00adra\u00adte, for exam\u00adp\u00adle when issuing pro\u00adof of inco\u00adme. An employ\u00ader who delays pay\u00ading wages may be held lia\u00adble if this results in a lower paren\u00adtal allo\u00adwan\u00adce being cal\u00adcu\u00adla\u00adted. This has alre\u00ada\u00addy been con\u00adfirm\u00aded by case law.<\/p>\n
As the reform is still at the draft stage, it is advi\u00adsa\u00adble to seek advice in good time when making spe\u00adci\u00adfic plans regar\u00adding paren\u00adtal lea\u00adve and paren\u00adtal allo\u00adwan\u00adce, so that the right decis\u00adi\u00adons can be made on the basis of the legis\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon curr\u00adent\u00adly in force.<\/p>\n