Parental Bereavement Leave Benefit
Overview
The Parental Bereavement Leave Benefit provides financial support to eligible parents who suffer the loss of a child under eighteen (18) years of age after 26th December 2025. The benefit is available to both employed and self-employed individuals, as well as their eligible spouses or partners.
The cost of the Bereavement Leave for Parents will be between the one to two days to be covered by the Employer; while the remaining days to cover up to the full total seven (7) days, will be refunded by the Department of Social Security. Part-time employees or those working reduced hours will also be entitled to this leave, calculated on a pro-rata basis according to their working hours. Self-Employed persons will be covered by the Department of Social Security for up to the full seven (7) days taken.
What you’ll get
Employees are entitled to up to seven (7) days of paid leave. Employers may claim reimbursement for one week’s basic wage, the employers’ share of Social Security Contributions paid on behalf of the employee for one week and a proportional value of statutory bonuses. Self-employed applicants receive a direct benefit equivalent to one week’s pay at the national median wage rate. If the spouse/partner is also eligible, their details must be included in the application.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be parents with care and custody of a deceased child under eighteen (18) years of age.
- Applications must be submitted within three (3) months of the child’s death, which must not have happened before 26th December 2025.
- Beneficiaries must reside permanently in Malta. If the death occurs abroad, a foreign medical certificate showing the date of death is required.
- Parental Bereavement Leave and Sickness Benefit cannot be claimed for the same period.
Exclusions
The following persons are not eligible:
- Employees on unpaid leave.
- Employees working on a casual basis who are exempted from paying Social Security Contributions.
- Self-employed persons who are either Exempted from paying Social Security Contributions in Malta or who have not paid at least twenty (20) Social Security contributions in the last two (2) years preceding the bereavement.
- Expatriates not paying Social Security Contributions in Malta.
Documentation required
- Employer: FS3 of the past year (if it is the same employer requesting the refund) and last three (3) payslips.
- Self-employed: Class 2 receipts showing at least twenty (20) contributions in the last two (2) years.
How to apply
Employers must submit applications within two working days of the parent’s return to work. Reimbursement begins from the date the employer submits the application. Self-employed applicants receive payment directly upon approval.
To apply click here.