Maine's paid family and medical leave program approved 4,720 claims during its first reporting period, according to state figures released Oct. 1.
The claims report covers applications submitted from March 30 through June 30. The program received 8,376 applications and decided 6,492, approving 72.7% of those decided. Benefits became payable May 1.
The average weekly benefit across approved claims was $816.33. Medical leave for conditions other than pregnancy accounted for 42.4% of approved claims; bonding with a new child accounted for 30.7%.
Missing supporting documents were the most common reason for denial, accounting for 57.5% of denied claims. The average initial decision took 23.47 days from application submission, or 3.44 days once all required information had arrived.
The report describes the figures as preliminary because they cover the program's opening months. The next report, due Oct. 1, 2027, will cover a full year.
The Department of Labor also released an actuarial report projecting that the paid-leave trust fund would remain stable for 10 years.