Statutory Maternity Pay - Can I get Statutory Maternity Pay?

To qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay, you must have worked for the same employer for at least 26 weeks by the time you are 15 weeks away from the date your baby is due.

It does not matter how many hours a week you work but you must earn more than £123 a week. If you have been furloughed because of coronavirus, your earnings should be assessed on what you would usually have earned, and not on the 80% you were receiving. Your earnings are assessed over the eight week period that ends 15 weeks before your child is due. If your earnings change, it might be helpful to use the calculator on the gov.uk website.

The rules about Statutory Maternity Pay apply to almost all people who are pregnant but there are exceptions, for example, people who work mainly overseas or who are share fishers. If your working situation is unusual, Find an Adviser and ask whether you qualify.

If you do not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay, you might qualify for:

• Maternity Allowance
• Universal Credit
• New Style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)