By Kostas Katikos
The extension of the maternity allowance of 830 euros per month to freelancers hides three plus one pitfalls that can lead to the rejection of the application to its loss.
The allowance is granted for 9 months. The application platform is already up and running, but those interested should be aware that there are pitfalls that may deprive them of the allowance and even without being able to transfer it to the father for 7 of the 9 months.
The ministerial decision that defines the terms and conditions for the payment of the maternity protection allowance to self-employed workers, mentions 3 + 1 reasons why the provision is interrupted.
The benefit is interrupted in the event that, during its grant, the insured:
1. She loses her professional status/job.
2. She is not insurance aware.
3. Undertake hired work.
The fourth stop-loss reason is that a due date is entered when there are debts that must first be paid in order for the benefit to be given. The decision states that if the insured professional owes her contributions, then she will have to pay them – not settle them – and then receive the benefit. However, if during the 9th month (e.g. in the 5th month) he leaves unpaid contributions and they are not paid in time within the same month, or in the next one, then the benefit will be stopped as soon as 12 months have passed from the date it was granted without deducting the period the allowance was suspended due to arrears. In other words, if an insured person receives the benefit for 6 months and incurs debts, she must pay them off within three months to complete 9 months of benefit before the end of the 12 months since it was granted to her.
As the decision mentions, in any case, the total period of payment of the special maternity protection benefit, after deferred payment of the insurance contributions, cannot exceed 12 months.
Especially for self-employed mothers (e.g. female lawyers) who also have a salaried relationship as well as freelancers or are also employed as employees (e.g. accountants working with a salary and a pad) the allowance can be cut not only if they owe contributions even if they stop their salaried employment.
And this is because the decision says that the self-employed or self-employed mother who maintains an employed or salaried position at the same time, receives the subsidy as an employed person. However, in the event that during the leave she loses her status as a tenant, i.e. is dismissed from her job, ceases to be employed or terminates her employment herself, then for the period of time remaining until the end of the nine months, she may continue to receives the allowance as a freelancer or self-employed person. In order to receive the allowance as a professional, the insured will submit a new request to the D.YP.A. However, if he has debts as a freelancer, he will not receive the allowance until he pays them off
father is also self-employed with debt then the allowance cannot be transferred either.
Profit 1,096 euros
The profit from the allowance is not only the 830 euros, but together with the birth allowance the total benefit obtained is greater. For example, mothers will receive 830 euros for 9 months, i.e. they will receive a total of 7,470 euros and in addition another 2,400 euros birth allowance for the first child equal to 9,870 euros total support for 9 months an amount equivalent to a guaranteed monthly income of 1,096 euros for 9 months.
The special provision of maternity protection is tax-free, non-assignable and non-seizable in the hands of the State in a broad sense or of third parties, it is not subject to any fee, contribution or other retention in favor of the State or e-EFKA.
The application is submitted electronically to the D.Y.P.A. on the parentalbenefits.dypa.gov.gr platform within 2 months, from the day after the payment of the EFKA maternity and maternity allowance.
The measure has retroactive effect, for mothers who had a child up to 14 weeks before the end of 2023, i.e. from 24 September 2023 onwards.
The insurance awareness of the existence or non-existence of debts to EFKA will be checked automatically upon submission of the application for self-employed persons and also every month before payment.
