How CT Paid Leave works out your benefit
Your base weekly earnings are the wages from the two highest-paid quarters of your base period — the first four of the five most recently completed calendar quarters — divided by 26 and rounded down to the dollar.
Connecticut ties the formula to its minimum wage. You receive 95% of your weekly earnings up to 40 times the minimum wage — $677.60 at 2026’s $16.94 — and 60% of anything above, up to 60 times the minimum wage: $1,016.40. The minimum wage in force when your claim starts sets the figures; a change during an active claim does not alter it.
The minimum wage rises to $17.48 on January 1, 2027, so the statutory band moves to $699.20 and the cap to $1,048.80. The Paid Leave Authority had not posted those 2027 numbers when we checked, but they follow directly from the statute and the announced wage.
Connecticut figures by date
| Window | Weekly maximum | Other figures | Your contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026 | $1,016.40 | Minimum wage used: $16.94 | CT Paid Leave: 0.5% up to $184,500 |
| Jan 1, 2027 – Dec 31, 2027 | $1,048.80 | Minimum wage used: $17.48 | Not yet published |
After the last window, the calculator switches to an explicit “enter the official figure” mode rather than reusing an old maximum.
Worked example
Take a worker paid $60,000 a year with steady pay, taking 12 weeks off (bonding with a new child) from Oct 5, 2026, when the figures for Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026 apply. CT Paid Leave uses the two highest base-period quarters ÷ 26, rounded down: $1,153.
The formula gives 95% × $677.60 = $643.72 + 60% × $475.40 = $285.24: a weekly benefit of $928.96, or 81% of their usual weekly pay. 12 paid weeks come to $11,147.52.
Over a year, their own payroll contribution is $300 — about $5.77 a week.
At $200,000 a year, the same leave pays $1,016.40 a week — the maximum, 26% of that worker’s weekly pay, for a yearly contribution of $922.50.
What catches people out in Connecticut
- You need $2,325 in your highest-earning base-period quarter to qualify.
- The 0.5% contribution comes from your pay on wages up to the Social Security cap — at most $922.50 in 2026.
- No waiting week. Benefits are payable from the first day of approved leave.
- Pregnancy adds two weeks: 12 weeks in 12 months, plus 2 more for a serious health condition that incapacitates you during pregnancy.
Official Connecticut resources
Related programs
Neighboring programs.
Sources for this page
- Connecticut General Assembly: C.G.S. Chapter 557 (§§31-49e to 31-49u, paid family and medical leave). Supplies: 95% up to 40× minimum wage plus 60% above, max 60× minimum wage; base weekly earnings = two highest quarters ÷ 26 rounded down; $2,325 highest-quarter test; 0.5% contribution up to the Social Security base; 12 + 2 weeks. Checked .
- Connecticut Paid Leave Authority: Before you apply. Supplies: 2026 maximum $1,016.40 and 95% band $677.60; minimum-wage changes do not alter an active claim. Checked .
- Office of Governor Ned Lamont: Press release, Aug. 5, 2026: minimum wage will increase. Supplies: Connecticut minimum wage $17.48 from Jan. 1, 2027 ($16.94 in 2026), which sets the 2027 benefit band and maximum. Checked .
- Connecticut Paid Leave Authority: How CT Paid Leave works. Supplies: 0.5% worker contribution. Checked .
- Internal Revenue Service: Publication 15 (2026), Employer’s Tax Guide. Supplies: 2026 Social Security wage base $184,500 (the contribution cap several programs use). Checked .
Figures on this page verified . Spotted a difference from your agency’s notice? Report a correction.