Delaware Paid Leave in 2026: generous for parents, short for illness
Delaware opened claims on January 1, 2026. It pays a flat share of wages, but treats a new child very differently from an illness or a relative's care.
Delaware Paid Leave, bonding with a new child
$769
a week · $9,231 for 12 weeks
| Weekly benefit | $769 |
| Average weekly wage used | $962 |
| Weeks paid (up to 12 weeks for this reason) | 12 weeks |
| Total for this leave | $9,231 |
| Federal income tax on it, about | $1,108 |
| Your take-home pay now, a week | $811 |
| Share of take-home pay replaced | 95 % before tax |
Delaware: 80% of the average weekly wage, up to $900 a week in 2026 and 2027, since January 1, 2026. The engine divides your yearly pay by 52.
Compiled by Radif Partners · How the estimates are built · state laws and agency pages read October 20, 2026
Delaware Paid Leave, which accepted its first claims on January 1, 2026, pays 80 % of your average weekly wage, up to $900 a week; the law fixes that maximum for 2026 and 2027. You reach it at a weekly wage of $1,125, about $58,500 a year. At $36,000 a year the benefit is about $554 a week, and at $50,000 the cap of $769 already applies. The length depends on the reason: up to 12 weeks a year to care for a new child, but only 6 weeks every 24 months for your own serious health condition, for caring for a family member, or for a military family need. All leave together cannot exceed 12 weeks a year. To qualify you must have worked at least 12 months and 1,250 hours for a single employer. The contribution is 0.8 % of wages, of which an employer may deduct no more than half from you.
Two clocks: one year and two years
Delaware is the only program on this site that counts some leave over 24 months. Parental leave, to bond with a newborn or a child placed for adoption or foster care, allows up to 12 weeks per year. Medical leave for your own serious health condition, family caregiving leave and military family leave allow up to 6 weeks every 24 months (Delaware Department of Labor). Above both sits an annual limit of 12 weeks of combined leave.
In practice, a parent can receive 12 weeks of parental benefits, $9,231 at $50,000 a year, while a worker recovering from surgery is limited to 6 weeks, $4,615, and must wait for the 24-month period to roll over before claiming again for illness or care.
Parental, medical or caregiving leave
Delaware Paid Leave, your own illness, injury or pregnancy
$769
| Weekly benefit | $769 |
| Average weekly wage used | $962 |
| Weeks paid (up to 6 weeks for this reason) | 6 weeks |
| Total for this leave | $4,615 |
A flat rate and a fixed cap
The Delaware Code sets the weekly benefit at 80 % of the average weekly wage, with a maximum of $900 in 2026 and 2027 (Delaware Code, Title 19, Chapter 37). There is no second tier, so replacement stays at 80 % until the cap. Because the cap is low compared with neighboring programs, it binds early: anyone earning more than $1,125 a week receives $900.
Eligibility tied to one employer
Most programs look at wages earned with any employer during a base period. Delaware asks instead that you have been employed for at least 12 months and worked at least 1,250 hours with a single employer, a test borrowed from the federal FMLA. A worker who changed jobs recently may need to wait before qualifying. The first day to apply was January 1, 2026 (Paid Leave overview FAQ), so leave that began earlier is not covered. The FMLA and paid leave page explains that federal test.
Three contribution rates
The 0.8 % total for 2026 is the sum of three parts written in the statute: 0.40 % for medical leave, 0.32 % for parental leave and 0.08 % for family caregiving. An employer may deduct no more than 50 % of the contribution from the employee, so a worker pays at most 0.4 % of wages, about $200 a year at $50,000.
Tax
Parental and caregiving benefits are federal taxable income under Revenue Ruling 2025-4. Medical leave is taxable for the part funded by your employer; see the tax page.
Delaware Paid Leave: the 2026 figures
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Benefit rule | 80% of the average weekly wage, up to $900 a week in 2026 and 2027, since January 1, 2026 |
| Weekly benefit, 2026 | up to $900 |
| Weeks: Own health or pregnancy | 6 |
| Weeks: Bonding with a new child | 12 |
| Weeks: Caring for a relative | 6 |
| Weeks: All reasons together | 12 |
| Employee premium, 2026 | 0.4% of wages (at most half of the 0.8% premium) |