Family allowances in Mexico
Mexico has no universal family allowance. Family support flows through Becas para el Bienestar Benito Juárez (school grants) — up to MXN 1,900/month per child, Sembrando Vida, and the universal Pensión para el Bienestar extended to children with disabilities.
No strict universal family allowance. Becas Benito Juárez (school grants) at all levels, Pensión para el Bienestar for children with disabilities, Niñas y Niños del Campo programme (formerly Estancias Infantiles). 12-week maternity leave at 100% via IMSS.
Becas para el Bienestar Benito Juárez
Federal school grants programme launched in 2019:
- Basic education (kindergarten, primary, secondary): MXN 875/month (≈ €45) per family (flat regardless of number of children)
- Upper secondary (high school): MXN 1,900/month (≈ €95) per student — universal coverage
- Higher education (selected universities): MXN 2,600/month
- Bi-monthly payment on Tarjeta del Bienestar card
- Beneficiaries: ~12 million students
Pensión para personas con discapacidad
Universal pension for people with disabilities (constitutionalised in 2020):
- MXN 3,100/month (≈ €155) for people with disabilities aged 0–64
- No means test
- Beneficiaries: ~1.2 million people in 2025
- Bi-monthly payment by Secretaría del Bienestar
Niñas y Niños del Campo programme
Successor to Estancias Infantiles, targeting poor rural communities:
- MXN 3,200/year per child aged 0–3 (kindergarten)
- Community childcare centres in 1,000 priority municipalities
- Integrated nutrition programmes (DIF)
Maternity leave (Licencia por maternidad)
Paid by IMSS (Mexican Social Security Institute):
- 12 weeks (84 days): 6 before + 6 after birth
- Benefit: 100% of average salary (capped at 25 UMA, ~MXN 93,750/month)
- Eligibility: 30 contribution weeks in the last 12 months
- For ISSSTE (civil service): 90 days at 100%
Paternity leave
5 working days at 100% of salary (since 2012 law). The Senate approved a 20-day extension in 2024, currently being implemented.
Regional support (Estados)
- Mexico City/CDMX: “Mi Beca para Empezar” — MXN 1,000/month for primary schoolchildren
- Jalisco: “Mochilas con Útiles” — free annual school kit
- Nuevo León: “Beca Universal” for primary and secondary
- Veracruz, Chiapas, Oaxaca: support for indigenous families
IMSS Childcare services
Subsidised nurseries for children aged 0–4 of IMSS-insured workers:
- Symbolic cost (1% of salary, capped ~MXN 700/month)
- Meals, medical care, educational programme included
- ~700,000 children in 1,400 nurseries
How Illizeo helps on the HR side
Illizeo is not a consulting firm or a paying body. However, our HR layer manages all of an employee’s family variables: family composition (dependent children, ages), supporting documents, event declarations (birth, adoption), leave workflows (maternity, paternity, parental) with key date calculations, and automatic feed to your payroll software.
Official sources
Manage the HR side of family allowances
From birth declarations to parental leave calculation, Illizeo centralises variables and feeds your payroll automatically.
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