•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: from 42 days before the due date (98 days for multiple pregnancies) through the 56th day after birth — up to 98 days total
•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