A father named Jonas, 37, has been waiting for a month for his wife to receive compensation from the Paris Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie (CPAM) for her first month of additional birth leave after the birth of their daughter. He is not alone in his frustration. This new benefit, introduced by the 2026 law on the financing of the Social Security (LFSS), became effective on July 1. It allows each parent to take up to two extra months of leave to care for their newborn, after using up their regular maternity or paternity leave. The first month is paid at 70% of the gross salary, and the second month at 60%, but neither can exceed the monthly Social Security ceiling of 4,005 euros gross in 2026. Jonas received compensation for July on August 16, but he is still waiting for the second month’s payment and for his wife’s compensation, which has not yet appeared in her bank account. The National Social Security Fund (Cnam) explains that payments are typically made after the end of the month covered by the leave. However, delays are common. According to the Cnam, when all documents are complete, payments usually take about 11 days after the leave period ends. But when documents are missing, delays can be much longer. The Cnam notes that some of the blame lies with employers, who sometimes fail to submit required paperwork on time. In fact, one out of five forms is incomplete from the employer’s side, which can cause significant delays in processing claims. Camille, 32, who works in communication for a small or medium-sized enterprise in Bordeaux, is one of those affected by these delays. She says the CPAM has contacted her employer three times for documents that have still not been sent. “Everyone was on vacation in July and August,” she explains. As a result, two out of three files require additional documents from both the employer and the employee. This has created a backlog, with the Cnam reporting 110,000 requests for additional birth leave submitted to the CPAM so far. The Cnam also mentions that a portion of these requests relates to the retroactive application of the new measure, which applies to all births since January 1, 2026. This means the CPAM must process six months’ worth of claims in addition to the requests made since the summer. The delays are causing frustration among families who rely on these payments to manage their finances during the early months of parenthood.