If you lose your baby
This page covers a painful subject as plainly and gently as possible, because the rules matter at a time when reading official guidance is the last thing anyone wants to do. The central point is reassuring: losing a baby does not automatically end Maternity Allowance entitlement, and in the situations described below, entitlement continues.
When entitlement continues
GOV.UK states that you may still qualify for Maternity Allowance if the baby is either stillborn from the start of the 24th week of pregnancy, or born alive at any point during the pregnancy. Those two conditions cover the situations most families face after the point of viability and after any live birth, however brief. If either condition is met, the claim proceeds on the same basis as any other Maternity Allowance claim: the same 39-week maximum, the same rates, and the same test period anchored to the due date.
What this means in practice is that you should not assume a claim must be withdrawn, and you should not let anyone tell you that payments stop automatically. Tell the Department what has happened, send the evidence they ask for, and let them confirm the position in writing. If a claim was already in payment, report the change promptly, as with any change of circumstances, and keep a note of who you spoke to and when.
What about earlier loss?
The GOV.UK rule quoted above is framed around stillbirth from the 24th week and live birth at any point. Loss before the 24th week that does not involve a live birth falls outside that stated rule, and this site does not invent a broader entitlement for it. If you are in that situation, the honest advice is to ask Jobcentre Plus directly, and to check other support at the same time: bereavement support, sick pay if you are employed, and help from your employer, GP, or midwife with time off and certification. Do not rely on a general website, including this one, for a case that turns on medical detail.
Getting help with the claim itself
If dealing with forms feels impossible right now, you can ask someone you trust to help you complete the MA1, and you can ask Jobcentre Plus for the form in an alternative format or for help by telephone. There is no requirement to deal with a claim alone, and taking help does not weaken the claim. Keep copies of anything sent, and ask for decisions in writing so you have a clear record.
Other support to check
Losing a baby can affect other benefits and entitlements as well, including bereavement benefits, which have their own rules and time limits, and Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay for employed parents in some circumstances. Those are outside the scope of Maternity Allowance, and this page does not try to summarise them in full, because getting a detail wrong here would be worse than pointing you to the official guidance. The GOV.UK bereavement pages and your employer, GP, or midwife are the right next steps, alongside the Maternity Allowance claim itself.
Sources: GOV.UK, Maternity Allowance: eligibility.