OVERVIEW
Presidential Decree No. 95/26, of 22 May 2026, was approved establishing a new legal framework for Family Benefits under the Mandatory Social Protection regime. It revokes Presidential Decree No. 8/11, of 7 January 2011, in its entirety, with the exception of Articles 29 to 31 and 35 thereof, which regulate the funeral allowance and remain in force until further legislation is enacted. The Decree entered into force on the date of its gazetting.
The new statute provides for a new set of procedures to be complied with by companies regarding each welfare benefit covered. Companies are hence required to review their internal procedures and update payroll practices immediately to ensure compliance.
Key Changes at a Glance
1. Maternity Allowance
|
Former Regime |
New Regime |
|
|
Guarantee period |
6 months of contributions within the last 12 months |
12 months of contributions within the last 36 months |
|
Benefit value |
Average of the 2 best monthly remunerations in the 6 months preceding leave |
3 times the average of the last 12 declared remunerations before leave begins |
|
Abortion / stillbirth |
6 weeks of leave post-event |
Allowance equivalent to 1 month |
|
Payment method |
Employer pays within 30 days of the start of leave |
Employer pays by bank transfer to the insured employee's account within 30 days |
|
Father substitution |
Not provided |
Father may substitute the mother in case of proven physical or psychological incapacity, or death |
|
Pre-maternity certification |
Certified by the Provincial Health Board (Junta Provincial de Saúde) |
Certified by a medical expert from the Disability Assessment and Verification Service (SAVI) |
2. Breast-feeding Allowance (Subsídio de Aleitamento)
Monthly values under Decree 95/26 are now set at Kz 6,000 for employees earning up to 5 national minimum wages; Kz 4,000 for those earning between 5 and 10 minimum wages; and Kz 2,000 for those earning above 10 minimum wages. This represents a fourfold increase from Decree 8/11, under which values were Kz 1,500, Kz 1,000 and Kz 500 respectively.
3. Family Allowance (Abono de Família)
Monthly values per child under Decree 95/26 are now set at Kz 2,400 (up to 5 minimum wages), Kz 1,500 (between 5 and 10 minimum wages), and Kz 900 (above 10 minimum wages). This represents a threefold increase from Decree 8/11, under which values were Kz 800, Kz 500 and Kz 300 per child respectively.
A critical change concerns the age limit: the family allowance now ceases when the child reaches 216 months of age (18 years), up from 14 years under the previous regime. The benefit has also been extended to cover pensioners receiving invalidity pensions in addition to old-age pensioners.
4. Funeral Allowance
The funeral allowance, which remains governed by the provisions of Decree 8/11 pending new legislation, is now set at Kz 100,000, a fourfold increase from the previous amount of Kz 25,000.
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