Malawi

Old Age, Disability, and Survivors

Regulatory Framework

A 2011 law creating mandatory individual accounts for private-sector workers earning above a minimum salary threshold has been partially implemented. No additional information is available.

Sickness and Maternity

Regulatory Framework

First and current law: 2000 (employment).

Type of program: Employer-liability (cash sickness and maternity benefits) system.

Note: Government health centers and hospitals provide some free medical services.

Coverage

Cash sickness and maternity benefits: Employed persons.

Medical benefits: No statutory benefits are provided.

Source of Funds

Insured person: None.

Self-employed person: None.

Employer: The total cost.

Government: None.

Qualifying Conditions

Cash sickness benefits: Must be employed continuously for 12 months before the illness began.

Cash maternity benefits: Must be currently employed.

Sickness and Maternity Benefits

Sickness benefit: 100% of the employee's daily wage is paid for up to four weeks; 50% for an additional eight weeks. A medical certificate must be provided.

Maternity benefit: 100% of the employee's daily wage is paid for eight weeks. Additional paid leave may be granted in case of certified medical complications. The employee can claim the benefit once every three years.

Administrative Organization

Ministry of Labour enforces the law.

Employers provide benefits through private insurance companies.

Work Injury

Regulatory Framework

First law: 1946.

Current laws: 1990 and 2000 (worker's compensation).

Type of program: Employer-liability system through a private carrier.

Coverage

Employed persons.

Exclusions: Casual workers, self-employed persons, family workers, and military personnel.

Source of Funds

Insured person: None.

Self-employed person: Not applicable.

Employer: The total cost (provides benefits directly to employees).

Government: None.

Qualifying Conditions

Work injury benefits: There is no minimum qualifying period.

Temporary Disability Benefits

A percentage of the insured's earnings is paid, according to a schedule in law. The benefit is paid after a three-day waiting period until full recovery or certification of permanent disability.

Permanent Disability Benefits

Permanent disability benefit: If the insured is assessed with a total disability, a lump sum of 54 months of the insured's earnings is paid.

Partial disability: A percentage of the full benefit is paid depending on the assessed degree of disability, according to a schedule in law.

Constant-attendance allowance: If the insured requires the constant attendance of others to perform daily functions, a lump sum is paid depending on individual circumstances.

Workers' Medical Benefits

The employer pays the cost of reasonable medical expenses for medical, surgical, dental, and hospital treatment; skilled nursing services; medicine; prostheses; mechanical aids; and transportation.

Survivor Benefits

Survivor benefit: A lump sum is paid of 42 months of the deceased's last monthly earnings minus any disability benefit paid before the date of death.

Eligible dependents include members of the insured's family; a reduced benefit is paid if the survivor was only partially dependent.

Funeral grant: If there are no surviving dependents, the cost of the burial is paid by the employer.

Administrative Organization

Ministry of Labour enforces the law.

Employers provide benefits through private insurance companies.

Unemployment

Regulatory Framework

The 2000 Employment Act requires the employer to provide severance pay: With one to five years of employment, two weeks' wages for each completed year of service; from five to 10 years, two weeks' wages for each year of service for the first five years plus three weeks' wages from six to 10 years; for more than 10 years, two weeks' wages for the first five years plus three weeks' wages from six to 10 years; plus four weeks wages for each year of employment thereafter.