Connecticut Paid Leave replaces up to 95% of your wages while you’re away from work for a qualifying family or medical reason, with a maximum weekly benefit of $1,016.40 as of January 1, 2026.1Connecticut Paid Leave. Before You Apply Most workers can collect for up to 12 weeks in a 12-month period, there is no waiting period once your claim is approved, and eligibility turns on a modest earnings test rather than how long you’ve been with your current employer.
Who Qualifies
Two things decide whether you can file a claim. You have to be working for a covered Connecticut employer now, or have worked for one within the 12 weeks before your leave began. And you have to have earned at least $2,325 in the highest-earning quarter of your base period, which is the first four of the five most recently completed calendar quarters.2CT Paid Leave. Coverage and Eligibility
Coverage is broad. The program applies to most employers with at least one employee in Connecticut, far wider than the federal FMLA’s 50-employee threshold. Federal employees, certain railway workers, municipal employees, and some private school employees are not covered.3Connecticut Paid Leave. Coverage and Eligibility Self-employed workers and sole proprietors can qualify, but only if they’ve voluntarily enrolled and meet the same earnings threshold.
Qualifying Reasons for Leave
- Your own serious health condition, including treatment or recovery, and serving as an organ or bone marrow donor.
- Caring for a family member with a serious health condition.
- Bonding with a new child after birth, adoption, or foster placement. Bonding leave is available for up to 12 months from the date of delivery or placement.
- A qualifying exigency arising from a family member’s active military service.
- Safe leave if you are experiencing family violence or sexual assault, covering needs like medical care, relocation, or court proceedings.
How Your Weekly Benefit Is Calculated
Your benefit starts from your average weekly wage. The CT Paid Leave Authority takes the first four of the five most recently completed calendar quarters, picks the two in which you earned the most, adds them, and divides by 26. Round down to the next whole dollar and that is your average weekly wage.
A two-tier formula does the rest:
- If your average weekly wage is at or below 40 times the state minimum wage ($677.60 in 2026), your benefit is 95% of your average weekly wage.
- If it exceeds $677.60, your benefit is 95% of $677.60 plus 60% of every dollar above that threshold.
A quick example. Two highest quarters total $20,800. Divide by 26 and your average weekly wage is $800. Because $800 is above the $677.60 threshold, you get 95% of $677.60 ($643.72) plus 60% of the $122.40 above it ($73.44), for a weekly benefit of $717.16.
The cap is 60 times the state minimum wage. With Connecticut’s minimum wage at $16.94 per hour on January 1, 2026, that puts the ceiling at $1,016.40 per week.4CT.gov. Governor Lamont Announces Minimum Wage Will Increase You’d need an average weekly wage of roughly $1,242 to hit it. Earn more than that and your benefit is still $1,016.40.
How Long You Can Collect
For most qualifying reasons, you can receive up to 12 weeks of benefits within a 12-month period. If you experience incapacity during pregnancy, you can receive an additional 2 weeks, for a total of 14.5Connecticut Paid Leave. How CT Paid Leave Works Safe leave for family violence or sexual assault is capped at 12 days rather than 12 weeks.6Connecticut Paid Leave. Check Your Eligibility
You don’t have to take leave in one block. It can be taken intermittently or by reducing your schedule, and only the actual time away counts against your entitlement. If you normally work 35 hours a week and take 7 hours off, that counts as one-fifth of a week.7CT.gov. FMLA FAQs
Job Protection Is a Separate Law
Connecticut Paid Leave pays you while you’re out. It does not, by itself, protect your job. Your right to return to your position (or an equivalent one) comes from the Connecticut Family and Medical Leave Act, which applies to most employers with one or more employees. You apply to the CT Paid Leave Authority for the benefit payments and to your employer for the job-protected leave.8Connecticut Paid Leave. For Businesses and Employers If your employer is also covered by federal FMLA, your federal and state leave generally run concurrently; the federal leave is unpaid, and Connecticut Paid Leave fills the income gap.
Coordinating With Employer Benefits
You can supplement your state benefit with employer-provided PTO, sick leave, vacation, or group disability insurance, as long as the combined total from all sources does not exceed 100% of your regular wages.9CT Paid Leave. Frequently Asked Questions This matters most for higher earners, where the 60% tier replaces a smaller share of income. If your weekly benefit is $900 and you normally earn $1,500, your employer can let you draw up to $600 from PTO to close the gap. Your employer cannot force you to use PTO in place of filing a claim.
Taxes on Your Benefits
CT Paid Leave benefits count as gross income on your federal return. The IRS treats state-run paid family leave as a government payment reported on Form 1099-G, similar to unemployment compensation.10Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 1099-G You’ll receive the form after year-end showing total benefits paid. Taxes are not automatically withheld from your payments, so you may want to set money aside or request voluntary withholding to avoid a surprise at filing time.
When and How You Get Paid
There is no waiting period. Benefits can start on your first day of leave once your claim is approved. Payments go out every Tuesday on a one-week delay, so a leave week running January 2 through January 7 is paid the following Tuesday. You choose electronic funds transfer or a stored value card when you file. Paper checks are not available.9CT Paid Leave. Frequently Asked Questions
How to Apply
Claims are filed online. Sign into or create a CT.gov account, which redirects you to the Aflac claims portal, where you enter your employment details, select your leave reason, and choose your payment method.11Connecticut Paid Leave. How to Apply
After you submit, you’ll get a notification letter listing the supporting documents Aflac needs. Depending on your leave reason, that could mean medical certification completed by your healthcare provider, proof of a new child’s birth or placement, or documentation tied to military service. Upload them quickly. If Aflac doesn’t receive the required forms by the deadline in your notification letter, your claim will be denied.12CT Paid Leave Authority. The User Guide