Maternity Allowance 2026/27: Who Gets It and How to Claim
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Maternity Allowance is a payment of up to £194.32 a week for up to 39 weeks when you take time off to have a baby. You can get it if you are employed but cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay, if you are self-employed, or if you have recently stopped working. You claim it from the government on form MA1, not from your employer.
Key points
✓Up to £194.32 a week, or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that is less, for up to 39 weeks if you are employed or have recently stopped working
✓Self-employed: between £27 and £194.32 a week, depending on your Class 2 National Insurance contributions
✓You must have been employed or self-employed for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before your baby is due
✓You can claim once you have been pregnant for 26 weeks; claim within 3 months of your start date to get the full amount
✓Maternity Allowance can reduce some other benefits: Universal Credit is cut by the amount you get, and Jobseeker's Allowance stops
✓Northern Ireland has its own claim route; the rates are the same but its average decision time is 35 working days
Who can get Maternity Allowance
Maternity Allowance is paid to people who do not get Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) from an employer. You could get it if you:
✓Yes: are employed but cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay
✓Yes: are self-employed
✓Yes: have recently stopped working
✓Yes: take part in unpaid work for the business of your spouse or civil partner
If your employer refuses SMP, they must give you form SMP1 within 7 days of making their decision, explaining why. You may be eligible for Maternity Allowance instead, and you will need to send the SMP1 with your claim.
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You can get Maternity Allowance for up to 39 weeks if, in the 66 weeks before your baby is due, you have been either registered as self-employed for at least 26 weeks, or employed for at least 26 weeks. If you have 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 have recently stopped working, and it does not matter if you had different jobs or periods of unemployment. The official tool for checking asks whether you earned a total of £390 or more in any 13 weeks, which is 13 times £30. If you lose the baby, you may still qualify if the baby is stillborn from the start of the 24th week of pregnancy, or born alive at any point during the pregnancy.
£194.32 a week or 90% of your 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
Unpaid work for your spouse or civil partner's business
£27 a week for up to 14 weeks
At the full rate, 39 weeks at £194.32 comes to £7,578.48. Maternity Allowance is paid every 2 or 4 weeks, usually straight into your bank, building society or credit union account. You can get it for up to 39 weeks, so if you take the full 52 weeks of Statutory Maternity Leave, your final 13 weeks will be unpaid.
If you are self-employed
How much you get depends on how many Class 2 National Insurance contributions you have made in the 66 weeks before your baby is due. To get the maximum, you must have been registered with HMRC for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before your baby is due, and paid Class 2 National Insurance contributions for at least 13 of those 66 weeks. Class 2 contributions are £3.65 per week.
If you have not paid any Class 2 contributions you are entitled to £27 a week. You may get £27 for a few weeks while your contributions are linked to your application, and your payments will be increased and backdated if necessary, which can take several weeks. After you apply, HMRC will contact you if you have paid less than 13 weeks of contributions and tell you how many more you need, and you can top up to increase your Maternity Allowance.
How to claim Maternity Allowance
You can apply once you have 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 you are entitled to, claim within 3 months of your Maternity Allowance start date.
1
Get the MA1 claim form
Print it and fill it in, fill it in online and print it, or order a form if you cannot print it. The form has notes to help you.
2
Work out your test period
You need to give information about your employment in the 66 weeks before your baby is due, called the Test Period. GOV.UK has a Test period calculator for the dates.
3
Gather your proof
Original payslips as proof of income, and proof of your baby's due date even if the baby has been born: a letter from your doctor or midwife on headed paper, or your MATB1 certificate. Add your SMP1 form if your employer refused SMP.
4
Send it to the address on the form
If the baby has already been born you also need proof of the birth, such as an original birth certificate.
You should get a decision within 20 working days. If you are eligible, you will be sent a form confirming your entitlement and asking you to confirm your last day of employment before leave. If you disagree with a decision, you can ask for mandatory reconsideration. See our mandatory reconsideration guide.
How it affects your other benefits
When you claim Maternity Allowance, some of your other benefit payments may change, but your total benefit payments will usually either go up or stay the same. The benefits affected are Universal Credit, bereavement benefits, Carer's Allowance, Carer Support Payment, Council Tax Reduction, Employment and Support Allowance, Housing Benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance. Jobseeker's Allowance will stop if you get Maternity Allowance.
If you get Universal Credit, your payment will be reduced by an amount equal to your Maternity Allowance payment, and you should report the change on your Universal Credit account. You may get an extra amount of Universal Credit for your children whether you get Maternity Allowance or not, and you will get Class 1 National Insurance credits automatically. The benefit cap may also affect your total. See our Universal Credit guide.
Changes you must report
Your Maternity Allowance could be stopped or reduced if you do not report a change straight away. If you are paid too much you might have to pay some of the money back, and you might also have to pay a £50 fine. Report a change if you:
✓Yes: return to work, including keeping in touch days
✓Yes: start or stop work, or start a new job
✓Yes: become entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay from your employer
✓Yes: change your address, name or bank details, or move abroad
✓Yes: no longer wish to claim Maternity Allowance
You can take up to 10 keeping in touch days without affecting the amount of Maternity Allowance you receive, but you must report them. Call the Maternity Allowance helpline on 0800 169 0283 (Welsh language 0800 169 0296), Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm, with your National Insurance number. You can also report changes by post.
If you deliberately do not report changes, you are committing benefit fraud.
Maternity Allowance in Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland you claim through the Department for Communities, using the same MA1 form. The rates are the same, with the standard amount £194.32 a week, between £27.00 and £194.32 for self-employed people who have paid fewer Class 2 contributions, and £27.00 a week for up to 14 weeks for unpaid work for a spouse or civil partner's business.
One difference is timing: nidirect says the average time for deciding a claim is 35 working days, against the 20 working days GOV.UK gives for England, Scotland and Wales. The baby must be stillborn after 24 full weeks of pregnancy, or born alive at any point, for you to qualify after a loss. In Northern Ireland, ask Maternity Allowance to look again at a decision, then appeal.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Maternity Allowance?
It is a payment you can get when you take time off to have a baby, for up to 39 weeks. It is for people who are employed but cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay, who are self-employed, or who have recently stopped working. It is paid by the government, not your employer.
How much is Maternity Allowance in 2026/27?
If you are employed or have recently stopped working, you get £194.32 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is less, for up to 39 weeks. If you are self-employed you get between £27 and £194.32 a week, depending on your Class 2 National Insurance contributions.
Who qualifies for Maternity Allowance?
You must have been employed or registered as self-employed for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before your baby is due. If 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.
When can I claim Maternity Allowance?
You can apply once you have been pregnant for 26 weeks. Payments can start between the 11th week before your baby is due and the day after the baby is born. Claim within 3 months of your start date to get the full amount you are entitled to.
Can I get Maternity Allowance if I am self-employed?
Yes. The amount depends on your Class 2 National Insurance contributions. With no contributions you get £27 a week, and with enough contributions you can get up to £194.32 a week. HMRC will tell you how many more contributions you need if you have paid fewer than 13 weeks.
Can I work while on Maternity Allowance?
You can take up to 10 keeping in touch days without affecting the amount you receive, but you must report any days you work. Returning to work otherwise is a change you must report straight away, because your Maternity Allowance could be stopped or reduced.
How long does a Maternity Allowance claim take?
You should get a decision within 20 working days in England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland nidirect gives an average of 35 working days. If you are eligible you will be sent a form confirming your entitlement.
Does Maternity Allowance affect Universal Credit?
Yes. Your Universal Credit payment is reduced by an amount equal to your Maternity Allowance payment, and you should report the change on your Universal Credit account. Your total benefit payments will usually either go up or stay the same.
Know Your Rights UK. "Maternity Allowance 2026/27: Who Gets It and How to Claim." Know Your Rights UK, https://www.knowyourrightsuk.com/benefits/maternity-allowance