Parent's Benefit

CheerLouth

Does anyone have any information on the new Parent's Benefit? Does it mean you get an extra two weeks paid leave in addition to the 26 weeks paid Maternity Benefit plus the 16 weeks unpaid Maternity Leave i.e that in the first year of a child's life, you'd have 28 weeks paid and 16 weeks unpaid?

I checked out the blurb on welfare.ie (https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/parent-benefit.aspx) but it's not clear to me. TIA!

zapper55

That's exactly what it means yes.

CheerLouth

Super thanks! I better tell my HR department - I don't think it's on her radar. Cheers

Millem

Does anyone know if we are getting any extra weeks for Parent’s Benefit this year?

masterboy123

Great info.
We are expecting our first baby and glad to have extra 2 weeks paid. Is it paid towards mother or father?

Cakerbaker

masterboy123 wrote: »

Great info.
We are expecting our first baby and glad to have extra 2 weeks paid. Is it paid towards mother or father?

Both the mother and father get 2 weeks each.

CheerLouth

Millem wrote: »

Does anyone know if we are getting any extra weeks for Parent’s Benefit this year?

As far as I know, it's for the parents of babies born since November 2019, so if you have a baby this year, you'll qualify

bee06

CheerLouth wrote: »

As far as I know, it's for the parents of babies born since November 2019, so if you have a baby this year, you'll qualify

It’s available on myWelfare.ie to apply for as well.

Rave.ef

So is the father entitled to 4 weeks now?

Cakerbaker

Rave.ef wrote: »

So is the father entitled to 4 weeks now?

Yes, 2 weeks paternity leave and 2 weeks parents leave

lashes34

Rave.ef wrote: »

So is the father entitled to 4 weeks now?

Yes two weeks Paternity and two weeks Parents Leave.

Millem

CheerLouth wrote: »

As far as I know, it's for the parents of babies born since November 2019, so if you have a baby this year, you'll qualify

Sorry I mean an extra weeks....it is meant to be extended by something like 7 weeks by 2021.

bee06

Millem wrote: »

Sorry I mean an extra weeks....it is meant to be extended by something like 7 weeks by 2021.

I haven’t seen any reference to it being planned to extend beyond the 2 weeks. Parental leave is being extended to 26 weeks this September.

Millem

bee06 wrote: »

I haven’t seen any reference to it being planned to extend beyond the 2 weeks. Parental leave is being extended to 26 weeks this September.

Yes when it was announced they said
“ The Government has promised to gradually increase parental leave to seven weeks by 2021.”

The bill to be published today also proposes to address a gap in the law, which prevents a male same-sex couple from receiving adoptive leave and benefit.
That is from Irish Independent but if you google loads of hits will come up.

I had actually emailed Regina Doherty on it before Christmas.

I am aware of the unpaid parental leave....I am taking that this year.

Millem

https://assets.gov.ie/35823/9198914f965a4fedb193f04cd76b187e.pdf

First 5 is a collaborative effort across Government. Key achievements across other Departments to date includes:
▪ The recent publication of the Parents Leave and Benefits Bill, which will provide for an individual entitlement to two weeks of paid parental leave per parent (up to a potential four weeks in total per child) from November 2019 (with a commitment to extend the individual entitlement to seven weeks of paid parental leave per parent by 2021).

zapper55

I think it's due to be extended again in November though that could change with a new government. So far only children born on or after the date of the change are eligible for the increased weeks. So if you've had your baby already the increase wont apply to you.

jlm29

Millem wrote: »

https://assets.gov.ie/35823/9198914f965a4fedb193f04cd76b187e.pdf

First 5 is a collaborative effort across Government. Key achievements across other Departments to date includes:
▪ The recent publication of the Parents Leave and Benefits Bill, which will provide for an individual entitlement to two weeks of paid parental leave per parent (up to a potential four weeks in total per child) from November 2019 (with a commitment to extend the individual entitlement to seven weeks of paid parental leave per parent by 2021).

All that’s in legislation at the moment Is the two weeks for babies born after Nov 1st 2019. I assume that if/when they extend the leave they’ll have to amend the legislation, so it will only apply to babies born after that’s done?

Millem

zapper55 wrote: »

I think it's due to be extended again in November though that could change with a new government. So far only children born on or after the date of the change are eligible for the increased weeks. So if you've had your baby already the increase wont apply to you.

Ok that’s grand....didn’t know what date they were going to pick. I am sure it will all change now anyway with new Gov!
As it stands it’s not getting topped up anyway

bee06

Millem wrote: »

Yes when it was announced they said
“ The Government has promised to gradually increase parental leave to seven weeks by 2021.”

The bill to be published today also proposes to address a gap in the law, which prevents a male same-sex couple from receiving adoptive leave and benefit.
That is from Irish Independent but if you google loads of hits will come up.

I had actually emailed Regina Doherty on it before Christmas.

I am aware of the unpaid parental leave....I am taking that this year.

Ah interesting, I was checking Citizens information which has no mention. My employer isn’t topping up either even though we have full pay for maternity leave. For paternity leave we’re always had 6 weeks fully paid and they are counting the 2 weeks parents leave within the 6 weeks rather than 6 weeks full + 2 weeks statutory.

Millem

bee06 wrote: »

Ah interesting, I was checking Citizens information which has no mention. My employer isn’t topping up either even though we have full pay for maternity leave. For paternity leave we’re always had 6 weeks fully paid and they are counting the 2 weeks parents leave within the 6 weeks rather than 6 weeks full + 2 weeks statutory.

I get topped up for maternity leave too but the Government announced they will not top up Parent’s Benefit for all the public sector/civil service
Our union trying to get them to reconsider.

That is absolutely shocking re paternity leave....has anyone challenged it?

I wonder is the Parent’s leave/benefit 2x 7 days or 2x 5 days. I think it’s 7 days.
Basically my wages are over 7 days but it’s a 5 day working week. It is a bit of an anomaly so I can finish unpaid maternity leave on a Friday and get paid for Saturday and Sunday if that makes sense?

masterboy123

Does these 4 weeks leave for father need to be used within 1 year of baby's birth?

Cakerbaker wrote: »

Yes, 2 weeks paternity leave and 2 weeks parents leave

Cakerbaker

masterboy123 wrote: »

Does these 4 weeks leave for father need to be used within 1 year of baby's birth?

The paternity leave must be used within 6 months and the parents leave within the year.

masterboy123

Thanks so much!
It's all clear now

Cakerbaker wrote: »

The paternity leave must be used within 6 months and the parents leave within the year.

xalot

Millem wrote: »

I

That is absolutely shocking re paternity leave....has anyone challenged it?

Yes it has been challenged, unsuccessfully. WRC case of An Area Manager v A Transport Company ADJ-0000577 see details here https://www.williamfry.com/newsandinsights/news-article/2017/09/22/failure-to-top-up-salary-during-paternity-leave-not-discriminatory-finds-wrc

I personally think it's clear cut discrimination but the WRC disagreed. Pity it didn't go to one of the courts, would be interested to see their viewpoint

bee06

xalot wrote: »

Yes it has been challenged, unsuccessfully. WRC case of An Area Manager v A Transport Company ADJ-0000577 see details here https://www.williamfry.com/newsandinsights/news-article/2017/09/22/failure-to-top-up-salary-during-paternity-leave-not-discriminatory-finds-wrc

I personally think it's clear cut discrimination but the WRC disagreed. Pity it didn't go to one of the courts, would be interested to see their viewpoint

That’s a different situation. In my companies case, fathers used to get 2 weeks paternity topped up plus and additional 4 weeks full pay. Since parents leave was introduced they still get 2 weeks paternity topped up plus 2 weeks parents leave topped up plus 2 additional weeks. So they technically aren’t losing anything but also not benefitting from the introduction of parents leave. They are still better off than the statutory requirement.

Millem

bee06 wrote: »

That’s a different situation. In my companies case, fathers used to get 2 weeks paternity topped up plus and additional 4 weeks full pay. Since parents leave was introduced they still get 2 weeks paternity topped up plus 2 weeks parents leave topped up plus 2 additional weeks. So they technically aren’t losing anything but also not benefitting from the introduction of parents leave. They are still better off than the statutory requirement.

Are they not losing out on 2 weeks topped up pay?

bee06

Millem wrote: »

Are they not losing out on 2 weeks topped up pay?

No, before and after they get 6 weeks fully paid. But since parents leave was introduced it will cost the company less because 2 weeks statutory pay is due that the company now doesn’t have to pay.

Millem

bee06 wrote: »

No, before and after they get 6 weeks fully paid. But since parents leave was introduced it will cost the company less because 2 weeks statutory pay is due that the company now doesn’t have to pay.

Is that not the same thing as what I said?
Before they got 6 weeks full pay.
Now they get 4 weeks full pay and 2 weeks @ €245 per week?
The male worker is down 2 weeks of a top up?


€245 per week.

IMHO that is discrimination. The male workers should get the original 6 weeks topped up plus 2 weeks @ €245
Per week. If they have a union they should get them to fight that.

If the above example is incorrect and male workers are getting topped up how can they get away with topping up men for parent’s benefit and not female workers. More discrimination!!

Cakerbaker

Millem wrote: »

Is that not the same thing as what I said?
Before they got 6 weeks full pay.
Now they get 4 weeks full pay and 2 weeks @ €245 per week?
The male worker is down 2 weeks of a top up?


€245 per week.

IMHO that is discrimination. The male workers should get the original 6 weeks topped up plus 2 weeks @ €245
Per week. If they have a union they should get them to fight that.

If the above example is incorrect and male workers are getting topped up how can they get away with topping up men for parent’s benefit and not female workers. More discrimination!!

My reading of the situation is that the male workers got 6 weeks fully paid and the company got 2 payments of state paternity leave towards that. The workers still get 6 weeks fully paid but the company now also get 2 payments of parents leave towards that. The male employees are in exactly the same situation but it’s costing the company less as they’re now getting 4 payments of 245 (or whatever it is at the moment).

Millem

Cakerbaker wrote: »

My reading of the situation is that the male workers got 6 weeks fully paid and the company got 2 payments of state paternity leave towards that. The workers still get 6 weeks fully paid but the company now also get 2 payments of parents leave towards that. The male employees are in exactly the same situation but it’s costing the company less as they’re now getting 4 payments of 245 (or whatever it is at the moment).

Ok but the female employees are not getting their parent’s benefit topped up.
Bee said previously her company were not topping up her Parent’s Benefit.

bee06

Cakerbaker wrote: »

My reading of the situation is that the male workers got 6 weeks fully paid and the company got 2 payments of state paternity leave towards that. The workers still get 6 weeks fully paid but the company now also get 2 payments of parents leave towards that. The male employees are in exactly the same situation but it’s costing the company less as they’re now getting 4 payments of 245 (or whatever it is at the moment).

That’s exactly it. Thanks!