Maternity Benefits Under ESI: What Can My Wife Expect for Her Upcoming Delivery?

My wife is working in a corporate company. She has ESI coverage, with the ESI registered date being 16/07/2013. Now, she wants to avail maternity benefits, with the expected delivery date set for 03/06/2014. What benefits can she avail?

Medical and Maternity Benefits Under ESI

Medical Benefit (medical facilities in ESI institutions) will be available.

Eligibility for Maternity Benefit

As far as the Maternity Benefit (cash benefit) is concerned, kindly refer to Rule 56 of the ESI (Central) Rules, 1950. This rule states that an insured woman shall be qualified to claim maternity benefits for a confinement occurring or expected to occur in a benefit period if the contributions in respect of her were payable for not less than seventy days in the immediately preceding two consecutive contribution periods. Please review the Returns of Contribution submitted or to be submitted by the employer of the unit for the periods ending September 2013 and March 2014.

Maternity Benefit is payable, subject to eligibility, for a period of six weeks plus one month (in case of sickness arising out of maternity/confinement). The daily rate of maternity benefit is equal to the standard benefit rate during the corresponding contribution period and can be ascertained from the Returns of Contribution submitted by the employer.

If you consider it necessary, I suggest you visit and contact the appropriate Branch Office of ESIC to which the insured woman is attached. Confirm her eligibility for Maternity Benefit (cash benefit) and the rate of cash benefit if she is otherwise eligible as per the above rule.

Regards

If contributions are paid/payable for your wife for 70 or more days for the contribution periods ending 9/13 and 3/14, then she will be eligible for medical and maternity benefits.

For more discussion, please contact:

Varghese Mathew
[Phone Number Removed For Privacy Reasons]