Maternity Allowance: Who Can Claim, How Much It Is and How to Apply (England, Scotland and Wales)

Statutory Maternity Pay is the payment most employees think of, but it is not the only one. Maternity Allowance is a separate payment for people who cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay, including many self-employed parents-to-be and people who have recently stopped working. This guide summarises what GOV.UK says about who can claim, how much is paid and how to apply. It covers England, Scotland and Wales, because Northern Ireland has its own information on nidirect, which describes itself as being for people in Northern Ireland and points readers in the rest of the UK to GOV.UK. It is general information, not advice on any individual claim. Our guide to planning maternity leave and Statutory Maternity Pay covers the employed route.

Who could get it

GOV.UK says Maternity Allowance is a payment for people taking time off to have a baby, and that a person could get it if they are employed but cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay, are self-employed, have recently stopped working, or take part in unpaid work for the business of a spouse or civil partner. Payment can last for up to 39 weeks (GOV.UK, “Maternity Allowance”).

The qualifying tests

To get Maternity Allowance for up to 39 weeks, GOV.UK says a person must have been either registered as self-employed for at least 26 weeks, or employed for at least 26 weeks, in the 66 weeks before the baby is due. Those who have been employed must have been earning, or classed as earning, £30 a week or more in at least 13 weeks of that employment, and the weeks need not be consecutive. A person who has recently stopped working may still qualify, and different jobs or gaps do not matter. Someone who does unpaid work for a spouse or civil partner’s business may get up to 14 weeks if certain conditions are met, including that the partner is registered as self-employed and pays Class 2 National Insurance. GOV.UK points to a maternity entitlement calculator for checking eligibility (GOV.UK, “Maternity Allowance: Eligibility”).

How much is paid

GOV.UK’s “What you’ll get” page gives the following amounts:

• Employed or recently stopped working: £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is less, for up to 39 weeks.
• Self-employed: between £27 and £194.32 a week for up to 39 weeks, depending on how many Class 2 National Insurance contributions have been paid in the 66 weeks before the due date. GOV.UK says Class 2 contributions are £3.65 a week and that contributions can be topped up after applying to increase the amount.
• Unpaid work for a partner’s business: £27 a week for up to 14 weeks.

Payment is every two or four weeks, usually into a bank, building society or credit union account. GOV.UK also notes that someone taking the full 52 weeks of Statutory Maternity Leave would have the final 13 weeks unpaid, because Maternity Allowance runs for up to 39 weeks (GOV.UK, “Maternity Allowance: What you’ll get”).

The rate is set by the Department for Work and Pensions for each tax year. Its benefit and pension rates for 2026 to 2027 list the Maternity Allowance standard rate at £194.32, up from £187.18 in 2025 to 2026, with a Maternity Allowance threshold of £30 (DWP, “Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027”).

When and how to claim

GOV.UK says a claim can be made once the person has been pregnant for 26 weeks, and payments can start any time between the 11th week before the baby is due and the day after the baby is born. To get the full amount, the claim should be made within three months of the Maternity Allowance start date. The claim uses an MA1 form, which can be printed and posted, and it asks for information about employment in the 66 weeks before the due date, known as the “test period”. GOV.UK provides a test period calculator.

The form must be sent with proof of income, such as original payslips, and proof of the due date. If the baby has already arrived, proof of the birth is needed too, such as an original birth certificate. Depending on circumstances, an SMP1 form from an employer that refused Statutory Maternity Pay may also be required. GOV.UK says a decision should come within 20 working days, and that a decision can be challenged by asking for mandatory reconsideration (GOV.UK, “Maternity Allowance: How to claim”).

Effect on other benefits

GOV.UK says that when Maternity Allowance is claimed, some other benefits may change, though total benefit payments will usually go up or stay the same. It lists the benefits affected, including Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction and Employment and Support Allowance, and says Jobseeker’s Allowance stops. Universal Credit is reduced by an amount equal to the Maternity Allowance payment, though a child element and, in some cases, help with childcare costs may still be available. GOV.UK points to a benefits calculator for individual cases. Maternity Allowance also brings Class 1 National Insurance credits automatically. For the next admin steps, see our guides to claiming Child Benefit és registering a birth.

Questions readers often ask

Can I get Maternity Allowance and Statutory Maternity Pay together?

GOV.UK describes Maternity Allowance as the payment for those who cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay, and an employer that decides someone is not eligible must give them form SMP1 explaining why. It is an alternative, not an addition.

What if the claim is late?

GOV.UK says the full amount depends on claiming within three months of the Maternity Allowance start date.

The bottom line

Maternity Allowance is the payment for people in England, Scotland and Wales who are employed but cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay, are self-employed or have recently stopped working. The 2026 to 2027 standard rate is £194.32 a week, or 90% of average earnings if less, for up to 39 weeks, with lower amounts for some self-employed claimants. A claim can be made from 26 weeks of pregnancy, and applying within three months of the start date protects the full amount.

Sources

• GOV.UK, “Maternity Allowance”
• GOV.UK, “Maternity Allowance: Eligibility”
• GOV.UK, “Maternity Allowance: What you’ll get”
• GOV.UK, “Maternity Allowance: How to claim”
• DWP, “Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027”
• nidirect, “Maternity Allowance”