An increase in the parental allowance (“rodičovský příspěvek”), approved in November as part of the amendment to the State Social Support Act, came into effect at the beginning of January. The allowance has been increased by CZK 50,000 for parents of children born on or after 1 January 2024, from CZK 300,000 to CZK 350,000.
Parents can still decide how much money to take each month, and over what time period. At the same time, the maximum period for the payments will be shortened from four years to three years.
The parental allowance comes into effect after the financial assistance during maternity leave (“mateřská”) ends. In most cases, the contribution begins when the child is around six months old; the total amount does not depend on the household’s income, or whether the allowance is assigned to the mother or father of the child. The monthly amount of the allowance is decided by the parent themselves; the maximum monthly amount is based on the previous income. A parent who has not previously received financial assistance during maternity leave, or who previously had a low income (typically self-employed, students or unemployed), can request a maximum financial allowance of CZK 13,000 per month. Others can set the monthly contribution amount as they wish.
The application for parental allowance has been available online from August 2023.”I’m really glad that we managed to push through the increase in parental allowance, which will significantly help families with small children,” said Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Marian Jurečka (KDU-ČSL). “This is a period full of joys, but also challenges, in which it is important to actively support families and help them with the costs of child care.”
The final approved level of the parental allowance is a coalition compromise.
