Who qualifies
Maternity benefit is a social-insurance payment for the period covered by an electronic incapacity certificate B for pregnancy and childbirth leave. It is generally available to an employee or self-employed woman insured for maternity who has contributions for at least three months in the last six-month period, or at least six months in the last 24-month period, before the month pregnancy leave begins. The contribution months need not be consecutive.
Entitlement may continue if employee or self-employed status ended no earlier than 60 days before leave. A separate protection can apply where employment ended because the employer was liquidated and pregnancy leave begins within 210 days after dismissal. If insurance periods were earned abroad, ask VSAA whether coordination rules allow them to be considered.
The 56 or 70 days before birth
The first part normally covers 56 calendar days. It covers 70 when the expectant mother started medical care by week 12 of pregnancy and continued it throughout pregnancy. The clinician records the period on the B certificate; the family does not choose the number of days.
Calendar days, not only working days, are paid. If a premature birth occurs before pregnancy leave started, a special rule applies and the benefit is awarded for no fewer than 112 calendar days. Ask the clinician to complete the B certificate and contact VSAA for the individual dates rather than trying to reconstruct them yourself.
The 56 or 70 days after birth
The second part normally covers 56 days after childbirth. It is 70 days if there were health complications during pregnancy, birth or the postnatal period, or if two or more babies were born. The overall maximum is 140 days. The pre-birth and post-birth periods use separate B certificates and require the relevant claim steps. Maternity and parental benefit cannot be paid for the same period.
How the 80% calculation works
VSAA awards 80% of the claimant's average insured earnings. For an employee, the average normally uses a 12-calendar-month period ending two months before the month pregnancy leave begins. VSAA calculates a daily amount and multiplies it by the calendar days on the B certificate. Rules for a self-employed person depend on her status and recorded contributions.
Months without earnings and periods affected by sickness, maternity or childcare leave are handled under special calculation rules. For that reason, simply taking 80% of the latest net or gross salary will not reliably predict the bank payment. Maternity and later parental benefit also have separate reference calculations.
Applying step by step
- Check that the clinician has closed the relevant B certificate in the electronic system.
- Open the VSAA service on Latvija.gov.lv and submit the application, or use another submission route accepted by VSAA.
- Provide an eligible account for euro payments. VSAA lists an IBAN at a Latvian, another EU or United Kingdom payment institution, or a Latvian Postal Settlement System account.
- After birth, apply for the second B certificate period as well.
- Save the submission confirmation and read the formal VSAA decision.
The benefit must be claimed within six months counted from the first day of pregnancy leave. Do not treat the deadline as a recommended waiting period.
Questions for a non-standard case
Contact VSAA if you recently changed jobs, have several employers, are self-employed, worked abroad, took unpaid leave or lost employment. Ask which months establish your qualifying period, which 12 months form the earnings reference, whether both B certificates are visible, and whether additional evidence is needed. A calculator is useful for a household budget, but only the VSAA decision determines entitlement and the exact amount.
A personal action plan
Information becomes easier to use when it is turned into a small plan. Choose one adult who can help with calls, transport or note-taking when needed. Mark only the next manageable step; the entire list does not have to be completed in one day. This plan focuses on maternity-benefit periods, calculation and application:
- obtain the doctor's sickness-certificate B details and verify all dates;
- compare the insurance period and average contribution wage used in the VSAA decision;
- submit through the chosen channel and retain proof of submission;
- before budgeting, distinguish the gross calculation, tax treatment and payment date.
What to record and ask
Keep the date, key facts, advice received and next review point in one note. This makes it easier to describe the situation accurately when tired and prevents an agreement from being lost. Prepare these questions before speaking with an authority or professional:
- Do the start and end dates match the period certified by the clinician?
- How did VSAA treat employment breaks, several employers or self-employment?
Rely on the written decision and the authority's current guidance, because amounts, deadlines and procedures can change. If verbal advice conflicts with published rules, ask for the legal basis or for a written response.