The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Kazakhstan has once again responded to the social media scandal surrounding payments to mothers on maternity leave who work part-time as couriers. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
The ministry stated that they do not plan to deprive such mothers of benefits in Kazakhstan.
"In social networks and some information publics, publications are being circulated with claims that Kazakhstan supposedly plans to deprive mothers working as couriers of social payments. This is not true," the ministry said.
As explained by the ministry, the support system consists of two separate types of payments.
For non-working parents caring for a child up to 1.5 years old, a state benefit from the republican budget is provided. It is paid for the entire established period and does not depend on whether the recipient is employed or not.
For working parents participating in the compulsory social insurance system, another support measure applies — a social payment from the State Social Insurance Fund in the amount of 40% of the average monthly income for the last two years before the child's birth. It is assigned upon loss of income due to caring for a child up to 1.5 years.
"According to the norms of the Social Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, termination of these payments upon returning to work is possible only upon voluntary submission of a corresponding application by the recipient," the ministry said.
The ministry urged not to spread distorted interpretations of official information and to rely only on explanations from authorized bodies.
Earlier, Minister of Labor and Social Protection Askarbek Yertayev commented to journalists on the high-profile story of a woman who worked as a courier with a baby in her arms. He stated that the heroine's husband is healthy, has a higher education, and works, and the family lives well.
Yertayev also added that after the resonant case of the courier mother in Almaty, authorities, together with Glovo and Yandex, are introducing strict rules for this sector.
The minister's response outraged Kazakhstanis. Social media began discussing the idea that in the future, if women get jobs as couriers while on maternity leave, they will be deprived of benefits.