Education and Child Matters

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Maternity Allowance

 

If you would like to check whether you are entitled to paternity leave or pay, maternity leave or pay or maternity allowance please click the link below. We suggest you read this webpage first.

LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE TO CHECK IF YOU CAN GET PATERNITY OR MATERNITY LEAVE OR PAY OR MATERNITY ALLOWANCE.

WHAT IS MATERNITY ALLOWANCE?

Maternity allowance is money you may be able to claim when you need to take time off during pregnancy or after giving birth.

Once the department of work and pensions receives your application form they will inform you approximately 20 days later whether your claim has been successful.  If successful, maternity allowance is paid every 2 or 4 weeks into your bank account.

BESIDES BEING PREGNANT WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE TO DO TO QUALIFY FOR MATERNITY ALLOWANCE?

  1. If you are self employed, you must have been registered self-employed for 26 weeks within 66 weeks before the birth. 
  2. You must have recently stopped working
  3. You are an unpaid worker at your partners or spouses business. You may be able to claim up to 14 weeks. In this case your partner or spouse must be registered self employed with the HMRC and they must also be paying class 2 national insurance.
  4. You are an employee but are not entitled to statutory maternity pay. You also have been an employee for 26 weeks within 66 weeks before the birth.
  5. You are earning £30 a week for 13 weeks (the 13 weeks do not have to be concurrent)

HOW LONG CAN YOU GET MATERNITY ALLOWANCE FOR?

You can get maternity allowance for up to 39 weeks.

FROM WHEN CAN YOU CLAIM MATERNITY ALLOWANCE?

You can claim maternity allowance after 26 weeks of pregnancy. Your maternity allowance payments can start 11 weeks before the baby is due.  

HOW MUCH MATERNITY ALLOWANCE CAN YOU GET?

As stated above, you will get paid for 39 weeks.

If you are self employed you could receive between £30.00 to £172.48 depending upon the amount of class 2 national insurance that has been paid in the 66 weeks prior to the due date of the baby. The more class 2 national insurance you have paid the more maternity allowance you will get.

If you are employed or have stopped working recently you could receive £172.48 or 90% of your weekly wages depending which is lower for 39 weeks.

EXTRA NOTES

If your baby is still born after the 24th week of your pregnancy or you baby is born alive at any time during the pregnancy, you could still be eligible for maternity allowance.

Maternity allowance can affect universal credit payments, carer’s allowance,  income support, housing benefit, council tax reduction, employment and support allowance, and any bereavement benefits. Please note job seekers allowance will be halted once your maternity allowance comes into effect. 

HOW DO YOU CLAIM MATERNITY ALLOWANCE?

You must complete the following form called MA1. Please click on the link below to access it.

LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE FOR FORM MA1

 You can complete it online and then print it, or print it and complete it by pen. You will need to attach proof of your income, proof of the baby’s due date, evidence of refusal of statutory maternity pay if this applies and evidence of your partners self employment if this applies.
 
If your claim is successful you wil be asked to inform the department of work and pensions your last day of work before you leave if this applies to you.