Maternity Allowance is usually paid to you if you don’t qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay.

The amount you can get depends on your eligibility.

You can claim Maternity Allowance as soon as you’ve been pregnant for 26 weeks. Payments can start 11 weeks before your baby is due.

Any money you get can affect your other benefits.

The amount you can get depends on your eligibility.

You could get either:

• £138.18 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is less) for up to 39 weeks
• £27 a week for up to 14 weeks (if your baby is due on or after 27 July 2014)

Maternity Allowance is paid every 2 or 4 weeks.

You can claim Maternity Allowance once you’ve been pregnant for 26 weeks. Payments can start 11 weeks before your baby is due.

Use the maternity entitlement calculator to work out how much you could get.

How you’re paid

All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into an account, eg a bank account.

Impact on other benefits

Maternity Allowance won't affect your tax credits but it will affect how much you get for:

• Council Tax Reduction
• Housing Benefit
• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income Support
• Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) - this will stop if you get Maternity Allowance
• bereavement benefits
• Carer's Allowance

The benefit cap limits the amount of benefit that most people aged 16 to 64 can get. Some individual benefits aren't affected, but it may affect the total amount of benefit you get.

Maternity allowance for 39 weeks

You might get Maternity Allowance for 39 weeks if:

• you’re employed, but you can’t get Statutory Maternity Pay
• you’re self-employed and paying Class 2 National Insurance contributions
• you’re self-employed and have a Certificate of Small Earnings Exception
• you’ve recently stopped working

You must also have been:

• employed or self-employed for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before the week your baby is due
• earning at least £30 a week over any 13-week period

You may still qualify if you’ve recently stopped working. It doesn’t matter if you had different jobs or periods of unemployment.

Use the maternity entitlement calculator to check your eligibility.

Maternity Allowance for 14 weeks

You might get Maternity Allowance for 14 weeks if for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before your baby is due:

• you’re married or in a civil partnership
• you’re not employed or self-employed
• you take part in the business of your self-employed spouse or civil partner
• the work you do is for the business and unpaid
• your spouse or civil partner is registered as self-employed with HMRC and should pay Class 2 National Insurance
• your spouse or civil partner is working as self-employed person
• you’re not eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay or the higher amount of Maternity Allowance (for the same pregnancy)

Your baby must also be due on or after 27 July 2014.

If you lose the baby

You may still qualify if the baby is either:

• stillborn from the start of the 24th week of pregnancy
• born alive at any point during the pregnancy

Change of circumstances

Report any changes to your circumstances to your local Jobcentre Plus as they can affect how much you get. For example, if you go back to work.

Print off and fill in the MA1 claim form or fill it in online, print it off and send it to the address on the form. The form has help notes on how to fill it in.

Jobcentre Plus

Telephone: 0345 608 8610
Textphone: 0800 023 4888
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Find out about call charges

Supporting your claim

You can claim Maternity Allowance once you’ve been pregnant for 26 weeks. Payments can start 11 weeks before your baby is due.

You need to provide:

• proof of your income - eg, original payslips, Certificate of Small Earnings Exemption (if applicable)
• proof of the baby’s due date - eg a letter from the doctor or midwife, or your MATB1 certificate
• your SMP1 form - only if you were refused Statutory Maternity Pay by your employer

You may need to give more information about your partner’s self-employed business and what you do if you’re applying for Maternity Allowance for 14 weeks.

What happens next

You should get a decision on your claim within 14 working days. If you’re eligible, a form will be sent to you confirming your entitlement and asking you to confirm your last day of employment before leave.

Appeal a decision

You can appeal against the decision about your Maternity Allowance if you're unhappy with it.

Check the date on your decision letter. There are different ways to appeal if your decision was made:

• before 28 October 2013
• on or after 28 October 2013