DC Paid Family Leave Calculator

DC Paid Family Leave

How DC figures your weekly benefit

The benefit starts from your average weekly wage. Under the DC Code, that is your total covered wages in the four highest-paid of the five calendar quarters before your qualifying leave event, divided by 52. In the default example the five quarters are $14,000, $15,000, $15,500, $16,000 and $16,250. The $14,000 quarter is left out, the other four add up to $62,750, and $62,750 divided by 52 is $1,206.73.

DC then applies a sliding scale. You receive 90% of your average weekly wage up to 150% of the DC minimum wage multiplied by 40. DOES bases the calculation on a minimum wage of $18.40 an hour, so that threshold is $1,104 a week. Above it, you receive 90% of $1,104, which is $993.60, plus 50% of the part of your wage above $1,104. No one receives more than the weekly maximum: $1,190 for claims filed before October 1, 2026 and $1,100 for claims from October 1, 2026. In the example, $993.60 plus half of $102.73 gives $1,044.97 a week, about 87% of the average weekly wage. Lower earners get a larger share of their pay replaced.

Our calculation with the D.C. Code 32-541.04 formula, the $18.40 minimum wage DOES uses and the $1,190 and $1,100 weekly maximums.

What changes on October 1, 2026

The DC Council changed Paid Family Leave in the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Support Act of 2026, passed on final reading on July 7, 2026. DOES says the updates take effect October 1, 2026. Medical leave drops from 12 to 10 weeks, family leave drops from 12 to 6 weeks and the weekly maximum drops from $1,190 to $1,100 for all claim types. Parental leave stays at 12 weeks and prenatal leave at 2 weeks. The sliding scale, up to 90%, does not change, and the program stays fully employer-funded with no payroll deductions from workers.

Source: DOES Office of Paid Family Leave, 2026 Program Changes: What You Need to Know.

DOES notes that the timing of your application matters. The DC Code has tied earlier changes to the date a claim is filed (the current limits apply to claims filed on or after October 1, 2022), so the calculator applies the new limits to claims filed on or after October 1, 2026. With the example wages, a claim filed in late September 2026 could pay up to 12 weeks of family leave, $12,539.64 in total, while a claim filed in October pays up to 6 weeks, $6,269.82. Medical leave filed in October pays up to 10 weeks, $10,449.70. If your leave straddles October 1, confirm the rules with the Office of Paid Family Leave before you file.

How many weeks you can receive

Each type of leave has its own limit, and within a 52-workweek period all your leave together cannot exceed the parental leave limit, 12 weeks. Prenatal leave can be added on top of that, but prenatal and medical leave together cannot exceed the medical leave limit. There is no unpaid waiting week for claims filed since July 25, 2022, and you can receive back pay for leave you already took if you file within 30 calendar days after the qualifying event.

Partial weeks and intermittent leave

You do not have to take all of your leave at once, and partial weeks are prorated. DOES gives the example of a worker who takes three days of leave and works the other two days of the work week: that worker receives benefits for the three days only. The calculator pays the same share of the weekly benefit, three fifths in that case, and counts the same share against your weeks. With the example wages, three-day weeks of family leave pay $626.98 each, and 10 of them use the 6 weeks available.

How to apply

Start by telling your employer that you will apply. You can give notice before the event, but you must wait until the qualifying event has happened to file your claim. For family leave, DOES asks your family member's medical provider to certify the condition and that care is needed. You can apply online at dcpaidfamilyleave.dc.gov or by phone at 202-899-3700, and DOES says you can expect to hear back from the Office of Paid Family Leave within 10 business days.

Who can get DC Paid Family Leave

The program covers private-sector workers whose employer pays the DC paid family leave tax. Generally you must spend a majority of your working time in the District, your employer must report your wages to DC for unemployment insurance, and you must be employed when you apply. Jobs with the District government, the federal government, WMATA or a religious institution are generally not covered, and you cannot receive benefits while you collect unemployment compensation. Self-employed people can opt in if they work more than half of the time in DC. Employers have paid a tax of 0.75% of each covered employee's wages since July 1, 2024.

DC Paid Family Leave does not protect your job. Other laws, such as the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, can do that, so tell your employer before you apply. On federal taxes, the IRS said in Revenue Ruling 2025-4 that benefits for family leave from a state program are included in gross income, and that medical leave benefits are taxable to the extent they come from employer contributions; DC's program is paid for by employers, so ask a tax professional how this applies to you. For your regular pay see the Washington DC salary calculator, and for a quick estimate of other state plans the maternity leave pay calculator. Compare the Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and California leave calculators, or the Washington State paid family leave calculator if you work in Washington State.