Maternity Leave Belfast

By  Supernanny Team 10/04/2007

There are two types of Maternity Leave available in the UK: Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) which is paid to you by your employer and Maternity Allowance (MA) which is paid to you by the government via Jobcentre Plus.

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)

How do I qualify and how do I claim?

If, by the 15th week before your due date (an important week, also known as your Qualifying Week), you’ve been employed by your present employer for at least 26 weeks (simply put, you’ll probably have been working there since before you conceived) and if you earn above the lower earnings limit for paying National Insurance (this is £84 for the 2006/07 tax year), you can claim SMP.

You must tell your employer you want to claim SMP at least 28 days before you plan to start your leave, but you must have your Maternity Certificate (MAT b1) from your midwife in hand. You can ask for this around week 26 of your pregnancy. With SMP, your employer claims on your behalf.

How long can I get SMP and how much is it?

The amount of SMP you can claim is currently changing.

If the week your baby is due (another important week, also known as your Expected Week of Childbirth or EWC) is on or before 31 March 2007, SMP can be paid for a maximum of 26 weeks. If you’re due on or after 1 April 2007, SMP can be paid for a maximum of 39 weeks.

For the first six weeks of your leave, you’ll be paid 90% of your salary. For the rest of your leave, you will receive the set SMP rate, currently £108.85 a week or 90% of your salary, if this amounts to less than the SMP weekly rate.

Do I have to pay it back if I don’t go back to work?

No, you don’t have to pay SMP back if you decide not to return to your employer, but you may have to pay back other maternity benefits your employer has given you.

What if I don’t qualify for SMP?

There are lots of reasons why you might not qualify, the main ones being:

• You haven’t been with your employer long enough
• You’re not employed in your Qualifying Week
• You’re self employed
• You’ve recently changed jobs or taken a break
• You don’t earn enough.

See here for a full list of reasons why you might not qualify for SMP.

If you don’t qualify for SMP you might still qualify for Maternity Allowance (MA), paid weekly by the Jobcentre Plus.

How do I qualify for Maternity Allowance (MA) and how do I claim?

If you’ve been employed or self-employed for a least 26 weeks before the week you’re due, and if in this time you’ve earned at least an average of £30 a week within any 13 of 66 weeks before your due date, you may qualify for Maternity Allowance (MA).

You have to claim MA yourself by filling in an MA1 form from your local Jobcentre Plus, or download it online . Again, you’ll need your MATb1 form from your midwife, so start making your claim after the 26th week of your pregnancy.

How long can I get MA and how much is it?

Again, the amount of MA you can claim is currently...

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