Statutory Maternity Pay

If you are pregnant you may be entitled to receive Statutory Maternity Pay from your employer for up to thirty-nine weeks. You should qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay if:

• you have been working for your current employer continuously for at least twenty-six weeks, up to fifteen weeks before
• your baby is due to be born
• you are still employed by your current employer fifteen weeks before your baby is due to be born
• you are earning at or above the Lower Earnings Limit, currently set at £87 a week.

You must inform your employer by the fifteenth week before your baby is due to be born as to when you wish to take maternity leave and when you wish to begin receiving Statutory Maternity Pay. If you change your mind about these dates you must inform your employer of the new dates, giving at least twenty-eight days notice. You must also give your employer written confirmation from your doctor or your midwife as to your baby’s expected date of birth. Statutory Maternity Pay is taxable income. You can choose for Statutory Maternity Pay to be paid to you from eleven weeks before your baby’s due date, or at the latest from the day after your baby was born.

Statutory Maternity Pay will be paid for twenty-six weeks if your baby is due to be born on or before 31st March, and paid for thirty-nine weeks if your baby is due to be born on or after 1st April. This is based on how long you will have worked for your employer during the calendar year before claiming Maternity Pay. For the first six weeks you receive Statutory Maternity Pay you are entitled to ninety percent of your average weekly earnings. For the following weeks you are entitled to the lesser of:

• £112.75 a week
• 90% of your average weekly earnings

If you consider you are entitled to receive Statutory Maternity Pay, you must inform your employer and ask them what procedure they require you to follow. You should be paid your money at the same time as you would usually be paid by your employer, but you will need to ask them if they have any special rules regarding when they will pay your Statutory Maternity Pay. If you need further assistance, you can contact the Benefit Enquiry Line on 0800 88 22 00 for advice.