Over 129,000 women and almost 14,000 men have submitted files for receiving parental leave allowance after the law amendment on July 1.

The average allowance now amounts to RON 1,404 (EUR 315.7) per month but the highest allowance is EUR 35,000 per month, according to the Labor Ministry.

Moreover, the Labor Ministry’s data shows that 0.17% of the beneficiaries, namely 242 people, get a third of the total allowances.

The Parliament decided earlier this year to remove the cap on the maternity leave and prolong the period during which parents get the full benefits from one year to two years. The Government opposed this measure due to its impact on the budget. According to the Labor Ministry, the financial impact in the first month was EUR 15.7 million, higher than initially estimated.

Before July 1, parents who went into parental leave for one year would get 85% of their monthly income, but no more than RON 3,400 (EUR 765) for a one-year leave, and no more than RON 1,200 (EUR 270) for a two year leave. The minimum amount was RON 600 (EUR 135) per month.

After July 1, the caps were removed and even the parents who were already on leave benefited from the new allowances. Besides removing the cap, the minimum allowance was also increased to EUR 240, which is 85% of the minimum wage.

editor@romania-insider.com