UK Maternity Allowance, in plain English
Maternity Allowance is the benefit for pregnant women and new mothers in the United Kingdom who do not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay from an employer. It is paid by the Department for Work and Pensions, not by an employer, and it is claimed directly, on form MA1. It exists for the people the employer-paid scheme leaves out: women who are self-employed, women who have recently changed jobs, women whose earnings are too low for Statutory Maternity Pay, and women who have recently stopped working.
Maternity Allowance in one paragraph
If you do not get Statutory Maternity Pay, you may get Maternity Allowance for up to 39 weeks. For 2026/27 the standard rate is £194.32 a week, or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that is lower. You must have been employed or self-employed for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before your baby is due, and, if you were employed, earning at least £30 a week in at least 13 of those weeks. Self-employed claimants are paid between £27 and £194.32 a week, depending on how many Class 2 National Insurance contributions they have paid. You can apply once you have been pregnant for 26 weeks, and payments can start from the 11th week before your baby is due.
Who this site is for
This site is written for anyone trying to work out whether Maternity Allowance, rather than Statutory Maternity Pay, is the right payment for them. That includes self-employed women, agency and casual workers, women who started a new job too recently to meet the Statutory Maternity Pay service test, and women who left a job during pregnancy. If your employer already pays you Statutory Maternity Pay, you cannot also claim Maternity Allowance for the same period. The comparison page sets the two payments side by side so you can see which route applies to you.
The shape of the payment
| Feature | Maternity Allowance |
|---|---|
| Paid by | The Department for Work and Pensions |
| Maximum length | 39 weeks |
| Standard rate, 2026/27 | £194.32 a week, or 90% of average weekly earnings if lower |
| Self-employed range, 2026/27 | £27 to £194.32 a week, by Class 2 contributions paid |
| Claim form | MA1, sent to the address on the form |
| Earliest claim | Once you have been pregnant for 26 weeks |
| Earliest payment start | The 11th week before your baby is due |
Thirty-nine weeks is not a full year. Statutory Maternity Leave lasts up to 52 weeks, so if you take the whole of that leave, the final 13 weeks are unpaid unless your employer offers something extra. Planning for that unpaid tail is one of the most useful things you can do early, and it is covered on the payment period page.
How this site is organized
Start with who Maternity Allowance is for, then the eligibility test for the 26-week and earnings rules in detail. Rates for 2026/27 explains the standard rate, the 90% rule, and the self-employed range. The MA1 claim form lists the evidence you need, including the MATB1 certificate and the SMP1 form. When payments start covers the start window and the three-month backdating limit. If you lose your baby explains, gently, when entitlement continues. Other benefits covers Universal Credit and related payments, and common mistakes collects the errors that most often delay or reduce a claim.
Three misunderstandings, cleared up at the start
Maternity Allowance is not paid by your employer. Even if you are employed, you claim it yourself from the Department for Work and Pensions. Being self-employed does not exclude you. Self-employment is one of the main routes into Maternity Allowance; the amount depends on your National Insurance record, not on having an employer. Changing jobs does not automatically end your chances. Weeks with different employers all count towards the 26 weeks, and the weeks do not have to be consecutive.
Sources: GOV.UK, Maternity Allowance (eligibility, what you will get, how to claim, report a change of circumstances); GOV.UK maternity and paternity pay checker outcomes for 2026/27.