A new child benefit option is available as from September 1. The parent who goes on leave can opt for a child benefit of 90% of the salary for the last 12 months if this chooses to be on leave to care for the child until this reaches a year and two months. The exiting options remain valid, IPN reports.

The National House of Social Insurance said that if the parent chooses to be paid monthly child benefit up to the child’s age of three, the benefit will represent 30% of the calculation basis but not less than the minimum monthly benefit paid to the insured person for looking after the child (740 lei).

If the monthly benefit paid up to the child’s age of two years is selected, the benefit will represent 60% of the calculation basis since the leave for 12 months is granted, but not less than a double minimum monthly benefit paid to the insured person for looking after a child (1,480 lei) or 30% of the calculation basis for the last 12 months, but not less than the minimum monthly benefit paid to the insured person for looking after the child (740 lei).

If the monthly benefit paid up to the child’s age of 12 months is chosen, the benefit will represent 90% of the calculation basis since the leave for 12 months is granted, but not less than a triple minimum monthly benefit paid to the insured person for looking after the child (2,220 lei).

No child benefit is paid for looking after the child in the period between the expiry of the 12 months and 24 months and the moment the child turns three. The child benefit option chosen initially cannot be modified later.

In the parents choose to divide the childcare leave between them, the first 12 months of the leave are calculated since an initial application for childcare leave is filed.

By the introduced amendment, the parental leave was extended from 56 days to 12 months of the child’s birth. This way, the parental leave with a length of 14 calendar days can be granted to the father within 12 months of the child’s birth.