From today, new rules to make it easier to access benefits after pregnancy loss
06.08.2025
On 6 August 2025, two regulations signed by the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy, Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk, came into force, simplifying the procedures for granting reduced leave and funeral allowance for women after pregnancy loss - regardless of the duration of the pregnancy and without the need to establish gender.
New document - medical or midwife certificate
From now on, the basis for granting funeral allowance and reduced leave after pregnancy loss may be a certificate issued by:
- a specialist doctor in obstetrics and gynaecology,
- a doctor in the course of specialisation in this field,
- a midwife.
This certificate can be issued on the basis of medical records - regardless of which week of pregnancy the miscarriage occurred.
No need to determine gender
Previously, a birth certificate with a stillbirth annotation was required to obtain benefits - only obtainable once gender was established. In practice, this excluded many women, especially after miscarriages before 16 weeks of pregnancy.
Alternative documentation for the birth certificate
In the absence of a birth certificate, women now have the option of obtaining:
- a funeral allowance - on the basis of a death certificate or an attestation from a doctor or midwife,
- an allowance for the period of reduced leave (formally maternity benefit) - on the basis of an attestation from a doctor or midwife.
Who is affected by the changes?
The new legislation applies to women who have experienced a pregnancy loss - regardless of which week of pregnancy it occurred.