What Happens If I Can’t Get Statutory Maternity Pay ? All You Need To Know About Maternity Allowance
If you have less that 26 weeks of continuous employment, you will unfortunately not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay. Fear not, My Bump Pay has put together a guide to walk you through Maternity Allowance.
You will either get
- 90% of your average weekly earnings (before tax) up to a maximum of £151.20 a week for 39 weeks.
- £27 a week for 39 weeks
- £27 a week for 14 weeks
To help you, there’s a handy calculator on the government website.
- Have been employed for a minimum of 26 weeks in the 66 weeks (15 months) before your expected due date.
- The work doesn’t necessarily have to be continuous and you don’t always have had to work at the same place. You can also include periods of self-employment.
And:
- Have earned at least £30 a week during 13 of those weeks.
- The weeks do not have to be all with the same company, and you can combine earnings from multiple jobs.
- You need to use the 13 weeks where you earned the most pay. This income can include overtime, bonuses, sick pay and holiday pay as well as any other times when you claimed Statutory Maternity Pay, but not Maternity Allowance itself.
If you are working on an unpaid basis for your civil partner or spouse:
- You mustn’t be eligible for Maternity Allowance or Statutory Maternity Pay because you have received money for paid work
- You must have been working for a minimum of 26 weeks during the 66 weeks before your baby’s due date for your spouse or civil partner whilst they were self-employed
- Your civil partner or spouse must be making Class 2 National Insurance contributions in during each one of the 26 weeks you have been working for them
Maternity Allowance in respect of unpaid work like this is paid at £27 a week for 14 weeks.

If you’re self-employed you don’t automatically become eligible to receive SMP unless you are also an employed on a PAYE salary. Instead you will have to claim Maternity Allowance.
To get the full Maternity Allowance og £151.20 per week, you must have paid class 2 national insurance for at least 13 of the 66 weeks before your baby’s due to be born.
If you haven’t paid enough class 2 national insurance contributions, you’ll get £27 a week for 39 weeks. You still need to meet all the other eligibility criteria to get this amount.
- Free prescriptions
- Free NHS dental treatment
- Paternity leave shared parental leave
- Working families tax credit
- SureStart maternity grant
- Universal credit
For a full list of other benefits you may qualify for whilst pregnant and during your first year(s) as a new parent, take a look at the Pregnancy and Baby Guide on the Gov website So now you are all clued up about Maternity Allowance. Did we miss anything ? Drop us a line at info@mybumppay.com