Benefits in connection with the birth of a child will increase in Armenia in 2020, said the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs of Armenia Zaruhi Batoyan on Friday at a joint meeting of the standing parliamentary commissions during the preliminary discussion of the draft state budget for 2020.

According to her, the one-time allowance for the first child in Armenia in October 2018 was up to AMD 150 thousand.

“Now both benefits will increase up to AMD 300 thousand. Moreover, benefits for caring for a child up to two years old will increase,” Batoyan noted, adding that these changes will come into force not from January 1, but from July 1, 2020.

After giving birth, the mother can take a leave of up to three years, with benefits up to two years. Now this allowance is AMD 18 thousand per month, and from 2020 it will grow to AMD 26.5 thousand.

Asked to comment what caused the delay of six months, the minister explained that some time should pass between the announcement of benefits and their entry into force.