Irish Maternity Benefit: €299 a week for 26 weeks, your start and end dates and the total
Estimates only, not financial advice. What you type stays on your device. Checked against sources on 17 Oct 2026.Maternity Benefit in Ireland is €299 a week in 2026, paid for 26 weeks, and rises by €10 in January 2027. Leave starts between 16 and 2 weeks before the end of the week the baby is due. Paid entirely in 2026, the 26 weeks come to €7,774.
2026 · Rates and rules read from the sources listed on this page (the earliest on 17 Oct 2026); they may have changed since.
Enter the date your baby is due.
Leave the start date empty for the latest start, or pick a Monday up to 16 weeks before the end of the due week.
If you have a partner on credits or earning under €100.01 a week, or children under 12, add them for the Illness Benefit comparison.
Read the weekly rate, the last day of paid leave and the total for 26 weeks.
This calculator works out the dates and the money of Maternity Benefit, the Department of Social Protection payment for women on maternity leave who have enough PRSI contributions. The rules come from the Citizens Information pages on Maternity Benefit and Illness Benefit.
The dates. At least 2 and at most 16 weeks of leave must be taken before the end of the week your baby is due, so the latest start is the Monday of the week before the due week. The benefit runs for 26 weeks (156 days, as Sundays are not counted), and up to 16 weeks of unpaid leave may follow. For a baby due on Wednesday 14 January 2026, the latest start is Monday 5 January and the paid weeks end on 5 July 2026.
The rate. €299 a week in 2026. Budget 2027 adds €10 in January 2027, and the calculator applies €309 to every week that starts in 2027.
Dependants. If you have a partner or children, your rate is compared with the Illness Benefit you would get, and the higher is paid:
| Average weekly earnings | Illness Benefit | With a partner on credits |
|---|---|---|
| €300 or more | €254.00 | €422.60 |
| €220 to €299.99 | €198.90 | €308.10 |
| Under €150 | €114.00 | €223.20 |
Each child under 12 adds €58 when the partner is on credits or earns under €100.01 a week.
Not included. Whether you meet the PRSI conditions, premature births, postponements, half-rate Maternity Benefit and children aged 12 or over. For pay after tax, see the Ireland Net Salary Calculator.
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The standard weekly rate is €299 in 2026, according to Citizens Information. Budget 2027 raises it by €10 from January 2027, to €309. The payment lasts 26 weeks, so leave paid entirely at the 2026 rate comes to €7,774. Maternity Benefit is taxable.
At least 2 and at most 16 weeks of the leave must be taken before the end of the week your baby is due. The latest start is the Monday of the week before the due week: for a due date of Wednesday 14 January 2026 the latest start is Monday 5 January 2026.
Maternity Benefit is paid for 26 weeks, or 156 days because Sundays are not counted. After it you can take up to 16 more weeks of unpaid maternity leave, with a credited social insurance contribution for each unpaid week, which protects your PRSI record.
Yes, when you have dependants. The set rate is compared with the Illness Benefit you would get, including increases for a partner and children, and the higher is paid. Citizens Information's example is €254 + €168.60 for a partner on credits + 2 x €58 for children under 12 = €538.60 a week.
An employee needs at least 39 weeks of PRSI paid in the 12 months before the leave starts, or one of two other combinations in the relevant tax year, which for leave in 2026 is 2024. Self-employed people need 52 weeks of Class S contributions in one of three tax years.
Maternity Benefit is taxable, as Citizens Information states, and Revenue collects the tax by adjusting your tax credits. Some employers continue to pay full or part salary during maternity leave and ask for the benefit to be paid into the employer's account instead of yours.
Rates and rules change; check the source before you rely on a figure.
Still stuck? Ask about Ireland Maternity Benefit Calculator 2026 and anybody who knows can answer. No account needed.
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