you must have earned £30 or more a week for at least 13 of those weeks – the weeks don’t have to be together. If you are having a baby, you may be entitled to either statutory maternity pay or contractual maternity pay, depending on your employment situation. Maternity pay: Depending on your eligibility, you may be able to get £151.20 per week or 90 percent of your average weekly earnings for 39 weeks. “The rules about Maternity Allowance can be complicated. Make the most of your money by signing up to our newsletter for. Taking control of debt, free debt advice, improving your credit score and low-cost borrowing, Renting, buying a home and choosing the right mortgage, Running a bank account, planning your finances, cutting costs, saving money and getting started with investing, Understanding your employment rights, dealing with redundancy, benefit entitlements and Universal Credit, Planning your retirement, automatic enrolment, types of pension and retirement income, Having a baby, divorce and separation, what to do when someone’s died, choosing and paying for care services, Buying, running and selling a car, buying holiday money and sending money abroad, Protecting your home and family with the right insurance policies, Coronavirus Money Guidance Add +44 7701 342744 to your Whatsapp and send us a message. - Get free trusted guidance and links to direct support, This article appears in:  The Government website explains you may get Maternity Allowance for 39 weeks if you’re employed but cannot get statutory maternity pay. It doesn’t matter if you had different jobs or periods of unemployment. The Department for Work and Pensions pays the maternity allowance for a maximum of 39 weeks for applicants that qualify. Use the maternity entitlement calculator to check your eligibility. [INSIGHT]Universal Credit UK: Britons can receive discounts through DWP benefit [ANALYSIS]Universal Credit: DWP confirms MIF suspension will be extended [REPORT]. For more details please visit this page. Universal Credit UK: Britons can receive assistance with housing costs. If you receive Maternity Allowance you should enter the full amount you get in income from this as Maternity Allowance is taken into account in full as income for all benefits. If you are self-employed and you have not paid enough Class 2 National Insurance to get the full rate of Maternity Allowance, you may be able to get £27 per week for 39 weeks. READ MORE: Pregnancy benefits: What benefits can you claim when pregnant? Self-employed women may also get Maternity Allowance. Maternity Allowance if you’re not working If you’re not employed or self-employed but you’ve been helping your self-employed spouse or civil partner with their business without being paid, you might be able to get Maternity Allowance at a rate of £27 a week for 14 weeks. Maternity pay: Can the self-employed get maternity pay? You may also get £27 a week for 39 weeks or 14 weeks. If you are an employee who cannot get SMP, a sole trader, self-employed and pay Class 2 National Insurance or you’ve recently stopped working, you may be entitled to Maternity Allowance. More than £5,000 tax free.” – Sharon, 35 years old, mother of 2-year-old Josh. Call Social Security Agency in Northern Ireland: 02890 823318. It doesn’t matter if you’ve had different jobs or periods out of work. Give us a call for free and impartial money advice. “Being my own boss was great, but when I needed to take time off to have Josh, I thought I’d just discovered the big downside – no Statutory Maternity Pay. Universal Credit: What is Universal Credit? If you can’t get Statutory Maternity Pay, you may be entitled to another benefit called Maternity Allowance. cookies policy. you have recently stopped working In the 66 weeks before your baby is due, you must also have been: employed or self-employed for at least 26 weeks … You’re employed but not entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay and have been employed for at least 26 weeks out of the last 66 weeks prior to your baby’s due date; You have recently stopped working; How much is Maternity Allowance? Employees Rights While on Leave. If you’re self-employed, to get the full amount of Maternity Allowance, you must have paid Class 2 National Insurance for at least 13 of the 66 weeks before your baby’s due. Maternity Allowance if you’re not working. It applies to most people aged 16 or over who have not reached State Pension age. You might get Maternity Allowance for 39 weeks if one of the following applies: you’re employed, but you cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay you’re self … You can start claiming Maternity Allowance from when you’ve been pregnant for 26 weeks. If you’re a self-employed pregnant woman, you are entitled to a maternity allowance. Maternity Allowance is a benefit for women who have been working but who do not meet the work and earnings conditions for Statutory Maternity Pay. Due to the Corona crisis, many women were sent on unpaid leave, and are not working since the start of the crisis. internet browsers with JavaScript. Maternity Allowance is a benefit paid by the government to pregnant women who don’t qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay. Maternity Allowance is typically paid to those do not earn enough to claim Statutory Maternity Pay (although it can also be paid to those who have merely stopped working to have a baby) In order to claim you must have been working (either employed or self-employed) for at least 26 weeks of the “test”period – which is defined as 66 weeks prior to the week before the due date. Read on to find out more about Maternity Allowance. I've recently stopped work to claim Maternity Allowance (I am self employed, and you have to have stopped working before you can even make the claim - then it is all done by post.) Maternity Allowance is tax free and you’ll get either: You also receive Class 1 National Insurance credits automatically while you’re getting Maternity Allowance. Maternity Allowance is a benefit paid to those who are working or have worked recently, but who don't qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay.. Maternity Allowance is paid by Jobcentre Plus directly to you. It doesn’t matter if you had different jobs or periods of unemployment. They do not earn enough money. You may also be eligible to claim for Maternity Allowance if you help your partner run a business. As of today, the law provides that a woman who doesn't work over time, and stopped working before expecting - is not entitled to maternity allowance. “If you usually earn £30 or more a week and only earned less in some weeks because you were paid but not working (‘on furlough’) under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, you may still be eligible. To claim Maternity Allowance, in the 66 weeks before your … Download a claim form from the GOV.UK website. My wife has recently given birth and she is now on maternity ... her employer because she started work and then two weeks later found she was pregnant so we had to go down the route of Maternity Allowance. If you’re self-employed, to get the full amount of Maternity Allowance, you must have paid Class 2 National Insurance for at least 13 of the 66 weeks before your baby’s due. You may still qualify if you’ve recently stopped working. It doesn’t matter if you had different jobs or periods of unemployment. Income Support can be paid from 11 weeks before your baby’s due date to 15 weeks after the birth if: Your partner or spouse’s income and savings will also count and they must be working less than 24 hours a week. Maternity Allowance Basic qualifying conditions To qualify for MA you must: Be pregnant or have recently given birth Have stopped work Have worked in at least 26 of the 66 weeks immediately before the expected week of childbirth (EWC), and Have earnings from employment or self-employment which, on average, amount to at least £30 a week for any 13 weeks in the 66 weeks immediately before the EWC Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights. You may still qualify if you’ve recently stopped working. Maternity Allowance (MA) is a Social Security benefit paid to pregnant women and to women who have recently given birth. To find out whether you qualify for Maternity Allowance, use the GOV.UK calculator. Universal Credit UK: Britons can receive discounts through DWP benefit, Universal Credit: DWP confirms MIF suspension will be extended. It doesn’t matter if you had different jobs or periods of unemployment.  |  The maternity allowance is paid directly by the Department for Work and Pensions for up to 39 weeks for qualifying applicants. Maternity Allowance for 29 weeks. Maternity Allowance ( MA ) ... Those who have recently stopped working to have a baby or those who do not earn enough may qualify for this benefit, as … Only available on internet browsers with JavaScript period, they become pregnant and receive unemployment benefits the earliest can. 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