The 2024 Social Insurance Law, effective July 1, 2025, introduces several changes to maternity and sickness benefits compared to the current Social Insurance Law.

The 2024 Social Insurance Law adds several provisions for mandatory social insurance participants that were not covered in the current law.

Specifically, it introduces benefits for cases where a pregnant female worker or surrogate meets the contribution requirements for maternity benefits and experiences a pregnancy loss at 22 weeks or later due to miscarriage, stillbirth, or death during labor. Both the female worker and her spouse are entitled to leave and maternity benefits similar to those for childbirth.

For cases where a female worker or surrogate loses a pregnancy at 22 weeks or more, two scenarios apply:

If the contribution period meets the childbirth eligibility requirements, the worker is entitled to full maternity benefits.

If the contribution period does not meet the eligibility requirements, the worker is entitled to 50 days of leave for pregnancies of 25 weeks or more.

A representative of Vietnam Social Insurance (VSI) noted that these provisions significantly expand the scope of maternity benefits compared to the current law.

Additionally, the new law relaxes eligibility conditions for female workers who must leave work to undergo infertility treatment before childbirth. Under the updated rules, such workers only need to have contributed to mandatory social insurance for at least six months within the 24 months preceding childbirth.

For voluntary social insurance participants, the 2024 Social Insurance Law stipulates that if a worker meets the conditions (at least six months of contributions within the 12 months before childbirth), they are entitled to a benefit of 2 million VND per child born. This also applies to pregnancies of 22 weeks or more resulting in stillbirth or death during labor.

The VSI representative emphasized that the funding for voluntary social insurance maternity benefits will be covered by the state budget. The government will adjust maternity benefits based on the country’s economic and social development and the state budget's capacity at different periods.

Vu Diep