You could get it if you:
are employed but cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)
are self-employed
have recently stopped working
take part in unpaid work for the business of your spouse or civil partner
You can get Maternity Allowance for up to 39 weeks.
You can get Maternity Allowance for up to 39 weeks if you’ve been either:
- registered as self-employed for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before your baby’s due
- employed for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before your baby’s due
If you’ve been employed, you must have been earning (or classed as earning) £30 a week or more in at least 13 weeks of your employment. The weeks do not have to be together.
You may still qualify if you’ve recently stopped working. It does not matter if you had different jobs or periods of unemployment.
You can apply for Maternity Allowance once you’ve been pregnant for 26 weeks.
Payments can start any time between the 11th week before your baby is due and the day after the baby is born.
To get the full amount that you’re entitled to, claim within 3 months of your Maternity Allowance start date.
To claim, you’ll need a Maternity Allowance (MA1) claim form. You can either:
- print it and fill it in
- fill it in online and print it
- order a form if you cannot print it
The form has notes to help you fill it in.
You’ll need to give information about your employment in the 66 weeks before your baby is due (called the ‘Test Period’). You can use the Test period calculator to work out these dates.
Send your claim to the address on the form.