Maine Paid Family & Medical Leave Benefits to Begin May 1

Maine’s Paid Family and Medical Leave program to begin distributing benefits on May 1, 2026, according to the Maine Department of Labor. The Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Authority met this week to discuss the solvency of the PFML Insurance Fund and the start of benefits later this year. By law, benefits were set to begin May 1, 2026, unless the PFML Authority determined that additional contributions would be needed to support the overall solvency of the fund. The law allowed the Authority to delay the start of benefits by up to 90 days to help address any solvency concerns. The Authority reviewed and discussed the actuarial study, which showed that the PFML Trust Fund is projected to be solvent over the ten years included in the study. After its discussion, the Authority voted unanimously to uphold the beginning of benefits on May 1.

“I am thrilled that, after thoughtful review of an actuarial study reflecting strong numbers to support the program, the Authority voted today that Maine’s paid family and medical leave benefits will become available for most Mainers starting May 1, 2026,”said Maria Fox, Chair of the Maine Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits Authority.

“The Department has been working diligently to ensure that this program will be ready this spring,” said PFML Director Luke Monahan. “It will bring transformational support for Maine workers and their families. It will give employers a new recruitment tool and a reliable way to reduce the costs of turnover and training. “We are very excited to reach this milestone of confirming when benefits will go live.”

While a workers’ leave must occur on or after May 1 to be eligible for Maine PFML benefits, the Department and its provider, Aflac, will start accepting applications in April. The Department will make a separate announcement with details on how to apply.

“This is a major step in the process of establishing Paid Leave for working Mainers, and is a transformative moment for the state,” said Destie Hohman Sprague, executive director of the Maine Women’s Lobby. “We join 13 other states and the District of Columbia in ensuring that no one is forced to choose between their health, their families and their jobs. When benefits go live this spring, we will see the culmination of years of work toward a more just, equitable economy that values families, caregivers, and all workers.”

Established in 2023, Maine's PFML program will provide eligible workers with up to 12 weeks of paid leave beginning on May 1, 2026. This benefit will allow Mainers to care for a new child, a seriously ill loved one, or recover from their own health conditions without the fear of losing income or employment. For more information about the Maine Paid Family & Medical Leave program visit  www.maine.gov/paidleave/.