ESIC raises maternity, funeral and medical benefit amounts from 8 May 2026
ESIC has raised maternity, funeral and medical benefit amounts for cases arising on or after 8 May 2026.
- Document
- Circulars
- Dated
- 04 Nov 2026
- Effective
- Applies to cases arising on or after 08.05.2026, the date of publication/implementation of the Social Security (Central)
This page was written by Patron Accounting’s AI from the official release and reviewed before publishing. It explains the document in plain language. It is not the document itself. Where this page and the original differ, the original governs.
The short version
- Maternity expenses under ESI are now ₹15,000 per case.
- Funeral expenses under ESI are now ₹20,000 per case.
- Medical benefit contribution is now ₹50 a month, or ₹600 a year.
- The new amounts apply to cases arising on or after 8 May 2026.
- No separate filing is needed from employers or employees.
In short
ESIC, the Employees' State Insurance Corporation, has issued an internal circular on updating its benefit amounts. The changes follow the Social Security (Central) Rules, 2026, which raised the amounts for maternity expenses, funeral expenses and the medical benefit contribution. The circular tells ESIC's offices how to update their computer system, called the insurance module.
What has changed
How it worked before
This circular does not state the earlier amounts, so it cannot say what each benefit was before. It only says the amounts were revised to follow the Social Security (Central) Rules, 2026.
What has changed
Maternity expenses (Rule 22(4)) are now ₹15,000 per case. Funeral expenses (Rule 21) are now ₹20,000 per case. The medical benefit contribution (Rules 25(10) and 25(11)) is now ₹50 a month, or a lump sum of ₹600 a year.
Who this affects
Salaried workers whose employer is covered by ESI, and their families when they claim maternity or funeral help. Employers who run ESI-covered workplaces.
An example
Meena works in a packaging unit that is covered by ESI. Her maternity case arises in June 2026, after 8 May 2026. The maternity expenses for her case are therefore calculated at the new amount of ₹15,000. Her employer does not need to file anything separately for this change.
What you should do
No action is needed from you. ESIC's offices will apply the new amounts to eligible cases from 8 May 2026.
If you do nothing
The circular asks for no action from employers or employees, so nothing happens if you do nothing. It does not mention any penalty, interest or notice.
The terms explained
- Insurance module
- The part of ESIC's computer system that processes insurance benefit claims and calculates the amounts payable.
- Medical benefit contribution
- A fixed amount linked to the medical benefit under ESI, now ₹50 a month or ₹600 a year.
- Social Security (Central) Rules, 2026
- The central government rules, effective from 8 May 2026, under which ESIC revised its benefit amounts.
- ESI-covered
- Covered by the Employees' State Insurance scheme, which gives health and cash benefits to eligible salaried workers.
- Per case
- For each individual claim or event, such as one maternity case or one funeral.
The original document
| Issued by | ESIC |
|---|---|
| Document | Circulars |
| Full title | सामाजिक सुरक्षा (कर्मचारी) नियमावली, 2026 के अनुसार अंशदान की दरों एवं हितलाभों की दरों में किए गए संशोधनों के फलस्वरूप इंश्योरेंस मॉड्यूल में आवश्यक बदलाव किए जाने के संबंध में। |
| Issued on | 04 November 2026 |
| Effective | Applies to cases arising on or after 08.05.2026, the date of publication/implementation of the Social Security (Central) |
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