Starting January 1, 2027, mothers in Kazakhstan will be able to return to work while continuing to receive social benefits for childcare until the child turns 18 months old. The measure was presented at a briefing by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population at the Central Communications Service, according to infohub.kz.
Almas Kurmanov, chairman of the board of the State Social Insurance Fund (SSIF), explained that under the new rules a mother will keep her assigned benefit even if she returns to formal employment before the end of her childcare leave. Going back to work will no longer be grounds for terminating the payment.
For example, if a woman returns to work when her child is eight months old, the employment itself will not be a reason to stop the benefit. Provided the eligibility conditions are met, the payments will continue until the child reaches 18 months.
Kurmanov said that at present, when a woman returns to work, the fund requests a confirming order to halt the payment. The proposed changes would eliminate this procedure.
"Nothing of the sort will happen tomorrow. She will receive her benefit for the full 18 months," he said.
The measure concerns the social childcare benefit under the mandatory social insurance system. It does not automatically extend to all maternity-related benefits.
At the same time, the right to this insurance payment is proposed to be assigned to the mother. A man will be able to take childcare leave, but in a two-parent family the money will go to the woman.
"A man can go on parental leave, but he will not receive the payment. His spouse will receive it," Kurmanov explained.
Journalists asked what would happen if a father is raising the child on his own. Kurmanov assured that in that case the man would be able to receive the payment. Explaining this exception, the head of the SSIF cited guardian status.
According to Kurmanov, the ministry does not consider the mother's preferential right to the benefit to be discrimination. He referred to Article 4 of the law on state guarantees of equal rights and equal opportunities for men and women, which provides for special measures to support motherhood and childhood.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote that from 2027, women who worked before the birth of a child will retain social benefits regardless of family income. As MP Lyazzat Kozhakhmet explained, social contributions were made on their behalf, so the SSIF will continue paying 40% of their previous earnings until the child turns 18 months old.
For women who do not work, the benefit will depend on the family's need. According to the MP, about 11,000 recipients from families in well-being categories A and B could lose their right to it.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labor promises that a calculator for assessing family well-being will be launched in Kazakhstan on October 16–17. With its help, citizens will be able to find out which of the five prosperity categories they belong to.