Sickness Benefit represents periodical payments made to an insured person during the period of certified sickness. To qualify for this benefit, contributions should have been paid for at least seventy eight days in the relevant contribution period.  The maximum duration of availing Sickness Benefit is 91 days in two consecutive benefit periods.  There is a waiting period of 2 days which is waived if the insured person is certified sick within 15 days of the last spell for which sickness benefit was last paid.  The Sickness Benefit rate is not less than 50% of the average daily wage of an Insured Person.
              After exhausting the Sickness Benefit payable upto 91 days, an insured person if suffering from tuberculosis/leprosy, mental and malignant diseases or any other specified long-term disease is entitled to Extended Sickness Benefit at a higher rate of about 70% of average daily wage for a further period of 124 days/two years provided he has been in continuous service for a period of 2 years or more in a factory or establishment to which the provisions of the Act apply and fulfils the contributory conditions as per the Corporations resolution.  The list of these long-term diseases is constantly reviewed by the Corporation on the recommendations of the Medical Benefit Council and includes 34 diseases presently.

              Enhanced Sickness Benefit at double the ordinary Sickness Benefit rate, i.e. at about full average daily wage is also provided to insured persons eligible to ordinary sickness benefit, for undergoing sterilization operations for family planning, for up to 7 days in case of vasectomy and up to 14 days for tubectomy, the period being extendable in cases of post-operative complication, etc