Children are a joy and a pleasure for everyone, but their birth can hit household finances directly. The government supports families with children mainly by providing maternity and childcare allowances, but even these are often not enough. Can I earn additional income during maternity or parental leave? Where can I turn to if I need more money? The following text answers these questions.

State support

As mentioned above, the state supports parents through benefits, especially maternity and parental benefits. Other support includes a tax credit per child that working parents can claim. The maternity allowance is paid to women who have worked at least 270 days in the two years prior to the birth and are currently working or are in the so-called protection period of 180 days. If they do not qualify for maternity leave, they take childcare leave immediately after the birth and receive the childcare allowance. This will be increased to 300,000 yen in the future, and the parents themselves will decide at what rate they will receive it. However, the maximum is 70% of the average salary for the year prior to the birth.

What if that is still not enough?

If you are still struggling financially and cannot take care of your child even with government benefits, it is best to visit the local labor office (social welfare department) to find out what other options are available. The social welfare department is the best place to get advice, as they know exactly what benefits you can apply for and what you qualify for.

Working during maternity or parental leave

Of course, you can earn extra income during maternity or parental leave, but you must consider that you are prohibited from doing so for the first six weeks and then for six months you may not work under the same contract or in the same job as before maternity leave. There are no restrictions on income during parental leave. There are no restrictions on income during parental leave, but there is a limited period during which the child can be placed in a collective center, otherwise the benefits will not be paid.