•Eligibility: only for mothers who are personally enrolled in employer health insurance (shakai hoken). Not available to those covered as a dependent under a spouse's plan
•Benefit period: the days you were away from work, within the range running from 42 days before the birth (98 days for a multiple pregnancy) through the 56th day after it. If the baby arrives later than the due date, the count starts from the due date instead, and the extra days of delay are also covered. The day of the birth itself falls within the 'before the birth' portion
•Amount per day: (average of your monthly standard remuneration over the 12 continuous months before the benefit start date) ÷ 30 × 2/3. If you have been enrolled for less than 12 months, the calculation uses the lower of your own recent average and the all-member average standard remuneration (320,000 yen for benefits starting on or after April 1, 2025). On days you were paid a salary, only the difference is paid
•This benefit does not overlap with the childcare leave benefit (employment insurance). The maternity benefit covers pre/post-natal leave; the childcare benefit starts after post-natal leave ends
•Many mothers submit the application after their entire maternity leave period ends, but splitting the claim into two periods (pre- and post-natal) is also possible
•You can keep receiving the allowance after leaving your job if (1) you were insured continuously for at least 1 year up to your last day (excluding voluntary continuation) and (2) on the day before losing coverage you were receiving or eligible to receive it. However, if you actually worked on your final day, you cannot receive it after coverage ends
•You cannot receive maternity allowance and injury/sickness allowance at the same time. If the sickness allowance would be larger, the difference is paid as sickness allowance
•The right to a health insurance benefit lapses two years after the day following the date it became claimable. For this benefit that clock starts separately for each day you were unable to work because of the birth, counting from the day after
•Kyokai Kenpo asks that you do not attach documents that were not requested, such as copies of wage ledgers or attendance records