Work from home for mums and dads: what Sodra allows during parental leave

track.lt editorial team · 2026-10-11 · 6 min read

On this page · 7

How the childcare benefit is paid
When earnings reduce the benefit
Rights on returning to your employer
Which options are real
What to avoid
Frequently asked questions
Sources

“Work from home for mums” is a search that usually hides two questions: can I work while I receive the childcare benefit, and what kind of work can realistically be combined with a small child. The answer to the first is clear and set out in the rules of the State Social Insurance Fund Board (Sodra). The answer to the second depends on whether you want to stay with the same employer or start something of your own.

In this part of the guide: when earnings reduce the benefit and when they do not, what rights you have on returning to work, which work-from-home options are real and which offers are worth avoiding. All of this applies to dads in exactly the same way.

In short

You can work while receiving the childcare benefit. The only question is whether your earnings will reduce it.
In the two non-transferable months, the difference between the benefit and the employment income received is paid.
In the other months the benefit is not reduced as long as it, together with employment income, does not exceed the former average salary on which the benefit was calculated.
Income from self-employed activity does not reduce the benefit.
When you are raising a child under 8, the employer must let you work part-time and must grant a request for remote work unless it proves excessive costs.

How the childcare benefit is paid

To understand when earnings will affect it, you need to know what it consists of. Sodra states the following rates of compensated earnings:

Period	If you chose the benefit until 18 months	If you chose the benefit until 24 months
Non-transferable 2 months (for each parent)	78%	78%
Other months, until the child turns 12 months	60%	45%
From 12 months until the chosen end	60%	30%

15% personal income tax and a 6% compulsory health insurance contribution are deducted from the calculated benefit. The minimum monthly benefit in the fourth quarter of 2026 is 592 €.

When earnings reduce the benefit

In the non-transferable months

If you receive income from work in these two months, Sodra pays the difference between the benefit and the income. In other words, every euro earned reduces the benefit by one euro. The exception is a father or mother raising a child alone who receives the benefit for the additional two months: for them income has no effect.

In all the other months

Here the rule is more favourable: employment income does not reduce the benefit if the sum of the benefit and the income does not exceed 100% of the former average salary on which the benefit was calculated. If it is exceeded, the benefit is reduced by the amount of the excess.

The example given by Sodra: the average salary was 2 000 €, the benefit granted was 900 €.

Employment income per month	Benefit + income	How much benefit you receive
300 €	1 200 € (less than 2 000 €)	The full 900 €
1 200 €	2 100 € (more than 2 000 €)	800 € (2 000 € − 1 200 €)

Two more limits stated by Sodra:

Low income. If the former average salary is lower than the minimum monthly wage, it is deemed equal to the minimum wage – so you can earn as much as keeps the benefit and the income together from exceeding it.
High income. The average salary used for comparison may not exceed five national average wages.

Self-employed activity – a separate rule

Sodra states that for self-employed people, income from self-employed activity does not reduce the childcare benefit. However, if in the non-transferable months you have income from work or receive other benefits, for example sickness benefit, the benefit is reduced.

Before you start working

Check in your Sodra account which average salary your benefit was calculated on – that is your limit.
Find out in which months you receive the non-transferable part: that is when working under an employment contract pays off least financially.
If you are planning self-employment, find out about its taxes and contributions in advance.

Which form of self-employed activity suits you and how much it costs is explained in the ACS.lt article “Self-employment: registration certificate or business certificate”.

Rights on returning to your employer

If you want to return partially – for shorter hours or from home – the Labour Code gives you specific rights for that:

Part-time work. For an employee raising a child under eight, the general restrictions concerning three years of service and a duration of one year do not apply: the employer must set part-time working hours when you require it. You can return to full-time by giving two weeks' written notice.
Remote work. The employer must grant such an employee's request to work remotely, unless it proves that, because of production necessity or the specifics of how work is organised, this would cause excessive costs.
Working time arrangement. The State Labour Inspectorate (VDI) states that the employer must also grant a request to work under a preferred working time arrangement, if this does not cause it excessive costs.

The same rights apply to pregnant employees, employees who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding, and those who are raising a child under fourteen alone or a child with a disability under eighteen.

Which options are real

Option	Who it suits	Worth knowing
Part-time with your current employer	Those who want to keep their job and skills	The income is employment income, so the limit of 100% of the former salary applies
Remote work for another company	Those with in-demand skills	You need fixed hours when someone else looks after the child
Independent services	Accountants, translators, designers, teachers	Income from self-employed activity does not reduce the benefit, but you need to register the activity
Selling your own products	Those who can sew, knit, bake	Producing food at home requires registration with the State Food and Veterinary Service (VMVT)
Affiliate partnerships and content	Those who have an audience or want to build one	You choose the time yourself, but the income does not come quickly

The table is a general summary. To be honest about time: with a baby, what is usually left for work is nap times and evenings, so it is more realistic to plan a few hours a day than a half-time job. Work that requires you to be reachable at a fixed time is unlikely to work out without help looking after the child.

What to avoid

Mums' groups on social media are one of the favourite places to advertise “work at home”. The most common baits:

Packing, folding, bead stringing with a deposit or a kit of materials – separate parts of this guide cover this.
A “business from your phone”, where the first step is to buy a starter pack of goods and your earnings depend on how many other people you invite.
“Tasks” in an app, where you have to deposit your own money to receive the pay.
Work without a contract “for a trial period” – later nobody pays for the work done, and without a contract you have none of an employee's guarantees.

The rule is simple: the employer pays you, not you the employer. If you have to pay for or buy something before you start, it is not a job.

Frequently asked questions

Can I work while receiving the childcare benefit?

Yes. In the non-transferable months the difference between the benefit and employment income is paid, and in the other months the benefit is not reduced as long as it, together with the income, does not exceed the former average salary.

Does self-employment income reduce the benefit?

Sodra states that income from self-employed activity does not reduce the childcare benefit.

Can the employer refuse to let me work from home after I return from leave?

When you are raising a child under eight, the employer must grant a request to work remotely, unless it proves that this would cause excessive costs because of production necessity or the specifics of how work is organised.

How much can I earn without the benefit being reduced?

In the transferable months – as much as keeps the benefit and employment income together from exceeding the average salary on which the benefit was calculated. You can see the exact amount in your Sodra account.