Am I Eligible for Maternity Benefits Under ESIC Without Current Salary Deductions?

Hi,

I have been working for a private organization since May 2008. I have been holding an ESI card since last year, i.e., 2010 from around August. However, there is currently no deduction in my salary for ESI. Am I eligible to claim maternity benefits now? My Expected Due Date (EDD) is in August. If I am eligible, what is the procedure? Do I need to go to an ESI hospital for monthly check-ups, or is it not needed? How many days of pay will I receive from ESIC?

Thank you.

Maternity Benefit Rules

Please look into the rules for MTB:

- **Benefits under the Act:** Maternity benefit requires a minimum of 80 days in the immediately preceding two consecutive contribution periods. The maximum period for the benefit is 91 days in one year.

Regards,

Hi Sowmya,

You can claim maternity benefits from your employer. Secondly, you have to produce a medical certificate of pregnancy and submit it to your organization. You needn't go for any more check-ups, and you will get 6 weeks of leave before delivery and the remaining 6 weeks later. You are also entitled to a medical bonus of Rs. 1000.

Hope this information is clear. Let me know if you have any more doubts.

If an employee has been confined, how can she access her maternity benefit? Kindly provide me with an answer.

And one more thing... If an employee joins an organization or company, and his starting salary is above 20000/-, should he be included in ESI? If so, how? Please clear my doubts.

Dear member, please go through the literature on various benefits available under the ESI Act, 1948, and the rules/regulations framed thereunder. The same can be downloaded from the website of ESIC. In order to claim maternity benefits under the said Act, the insured woman must be eligible for the benefit and must get herself examined in the appropriate ESI dispensary, obtain medical certification, and submit the same to the concerned branch office of ESIC.

Insured Women/Employees receiving "wages" exceeding Rs. 15,000 per month are not eligible for benefits (including maternity benefits) under the said Act. However, the coverage of such employees receiving wages exceeding the above amount is to be continued until the close of the contribution period, and their eligibility for benefits will be until the close of the relevant benefit period.