{"id":1251,"date":"2024-11-07T18:12:30","date_gmt":"2024-11-07T18:12:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/articles\/self-employed-maternity-pay\/"},"modified":"2025-05-22T13:04:53","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T13:04:53","slug":"self-employed-maternity-pay","status":"publish","type":"knowledge","link":"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/staff\/self-employed-maternity-pay\/","title":{"rendered":"Self-employed maternity pay: what you need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Is self-employed maternity pay available? The short answer is \u2018yes\u2019, but it depends on a few different factors. Our guide can help you figure out the maternity pay you\u2019re entitled to and how you can claim it.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Working for yourself brings a level of flexibility that you often can\u2019t find in traditionally employed roles, making it a popular choice for those with family commitments. But even if you\u2019re self-employed, sometimes it\u2019s important to put your work on hold to care for your child full time. Keep reading to discover your maternity pay entitlement options as a self-employed parent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is maternity pay? <\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are different types of maternity leave pay available depending on your employment status: <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>statutory maternity pay<\/strong> is the legal minimum for an employer to pay (as long as you\u2019ve worked there for a certain amount of time and earn at least \u00a3123 a week on average) <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>enhanced maternity pay<\/strong> is offered by some companies as a benefit to get more than statutory maternity pay (it\u2019s also known as \u2018contractual\u2019 maternity pay) <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><strong>maternity allowance<\/strong> is paid by the government if you\u2019re self-employed and can\u2019t claim statutory maternity pay  <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our guide takes you through the main maternity pay types currently available in the UK, and tells you how self-employed mums and mums-to-be can claim them.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-300-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-69910985 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-radius:10px;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--90)\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-much-is-maternity-pay\">How much is maternity pay?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How much maternity pay you can get will depend on the type of benefit you\u2019re entitled to. We\u2019ll go over each type of maternity pay in more detail below, but you can also use an online <a href=\"https:\/\/croner.co.uk\/resources\/pay-benefits\/maternity-pay-calculator\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">maternity pay calculator<\/a> to get an estimate of what you may be entitled to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>How much maternity pay will I get? Find out about:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"#maternity-allowance\">maternity allowance<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"#statutory-maternity-pay\">statutory maternity pay<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"#esa\">employment and support allowance<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"maternity-allowance\">Maternity allowance <\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This benefit is provided by the government, and is designed for those who don\u2019t qualify for statutory maternity pay. This makes it a key maternity benefit for self-employed mothers.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can claim maternity allowance as soon as you\u2019ve been pregnant for 26 weeks. Payments can begin 11 weeks before your baby\u2019s due at the earliest, and the day after your baby\u2019s born at the latest.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Whether you can get it and how much you can get will depend on a few eligibility factors.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Am I eligible for maternity allowance?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your maternity allowance eligibility will depend on the work you\u2019ve done in the period that\u2019s 66 weeks before your baby is due. This is known as your \u2018test period.\u2019<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To qualify for maternity allowance, you\u2019ll need to have been employed or self-employed for at least 26 weeks of your test period.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019ve done any paid work during a week in these 66 weeks, that counts as one full week, even if you\u2019ve only worked for one day that week. Also bear in mind that these weeks don\u2019t need to be consecutive. So you could have worked a Monday and Tuesday of one week, and then a Thursday two weeks later, and this would count as two weeks.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At least 13 of these \u2018weekly\u2019 earnings need to be \u00a330 or over for you to be eligible.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can check if you\u2019re eligible using the government\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/maternity-paternity-pay-leave\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">maternity pay calculator<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How much maternity allowance will I get?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The amount of maternity allowance you get will depend on your <a href=\"\/knowledge\/self-assessment\/how-to-pay-national-insurance-when-self-employed\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1440\" >Class 2 National Insurance (NI) contributions<\/a>. Depending on your earnings, these are made automatically when you submit your Self Assessment tax return.<\/p>\n\n<div id=\"nba-body-001\">\n<\/div>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you pay Class 2 National Insurance contributions through your Self Assessment tax return (and you\u2019ve done so for at least 13 weeks in the 66 weeks before your baby\u2019s due), you\u2019ll get <strong>between \u00a327 and \u00a3184.03 a week for up to 39 weeks.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re employed or have recently stopped working, you\u2019ll get 90 per cent of your average weekly earnings or \u00a3184.03 a week (whichever is less). To calculate the average, your total gross earnings for the 13 eligible weeks of your test period will be added up and divided by 13.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you haven\u2019t paid enough Class 2 National Insurance contributions to get the full amount, you may be able to get a reduced amount of \u00a327 a week, as long as you meet the other criteria.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You may still be able to qualify for the full rate by making early National Insurance contributions. If this is relevant to you, HMRC can help you do it.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your spouse or civil partner is self-employed and you do unpaid work for their business you may be able to get maternity allowance for 14 weeks. You need to have been doing work for the business for at least 26 weeks of the 66 weeks before your baby\u2019s due for this to apply, and your partner needs to be making Class 2 National Insurance contributions.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is maternity pay taxable?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You don\u2019t have to pay tax on maternity allowance. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re newly self-employed, read more about <a href=\"\/knowledge\/business-tax\/self-employed-tax-changes\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1514\" >filing your tax return<\/a> and the Self Assessment process.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How do I apply for maternity allowance?<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To apply for Maternity Allowance, you need to complete the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/publications\/maternity-allowance-claim-form\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">maternity allowance claim form<\/a>, and send it to the address given on the form.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you have any issues downloading and printing the form, you can ask <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/contact-jobcentre-plus\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">JobCentre Plus<\/a> to post you one instead.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"statutory-maternity-pay\">Statutory maternity pay<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Statutory maternity pay is the paid maternity leave available to employed people who\u2019ve had a baby. If you\u2019re self-employed, you won\u2019t be eligible for statutory maternity pay unless you\u2019re also employed by someone else. Talk to your employer to find out about your access to statutory maternity pay.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you receive statutory maternity pay, you won\u2019t qualify for maternity allowance, even if you\u2019re also working for yourself at the same time, or helping out a self-employed spouse or civil partner.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Maternity leave for self-employed women<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Being self-employed means you don\u2019t get the benefit of maternity leave and other paid holidays (unless you also work for an employer too). <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the UK, pregnant employees are entitled to:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">26 weeks Ordinary Maternity Leave<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">26 weeks Additional Maternity Leave<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Working while on maternity allowance \u2013 rules and regulations<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you do any work (either employed or as a self-employed person) during your Maternity Allowance Period then you must tell Jobcentre Plus.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019re allowed to work a <strong>maximum of 10 days<\/strong> during the period you\u2019re receiving maternity allowance. If you work any more than this then you\u2019ll lose your maternity allowance, at least for the number of days worked over 10.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What about self-employed dads and partners?<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Currently, dads and partners aren\u2019t able to get <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/allowances\/self-employed-paternity-pay\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"825\" >self-employed paternity pay<\/a> and paternity leave in the UK. This is only an option for employees with an <a href=\"\/knowledge\/staff\/employment-contract-template\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1379\" >employment contract<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Shared parental leave<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another option for self-employed mothers is shared parental leave, which allows mothers to end their maternity leave early and share it with their partner. Shared parental leave allows you to:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay between you<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\">take your leave at the same time or separately<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leave must be taken in the first year after your child is born. You can choose to take the leave in blocks or take it all in one go.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Self-employed people are unable to take shared parental leave for themselves. However, if your partner isn\u2019t self-employed and you meet certain earning requirements, then your partner may be able to claim it.<br>The government website has a form to help you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.check-shared-parental-leave.service.gov.uk\/nature-of-parenthood\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">work out if either you or your partner can take shared parental leave<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"esa\">Employment and support allowance<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you\u2019re not eligible for maternity allowance, you may be able to get employment and support allowance (ESA) instead. If you claim maternity allowance and don\u2019t qualify, you\u2019ll automatically be considered for employment and support allowance as an alternative.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The minimum amount of employment and support allowance is \u00a390.50 a week. ESA can be paid for six weeks before your due date and for two weeks after the baby is born.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Your MAT B1 form \u2013 the maternity certificate that your midwife gives you after your 20 week scan \u2013 is enough to prove that you\u2019re unable to work. You won\u2019t need to undergo a work capability assessment.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other benefits for pregnant women and parents<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If this is your first child and you or your partner is receiving a benefit like Income Support or Jobseeker\u2019s Allowance, you may be able to get the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/sure-start-maternity-grant\/eligibility\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Sure Start Maternity Grant<\/a>. This is a one-off payment of \u00a3500 to help towards the costs of having a baby.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you live in Scotland, you\u2019ll need to apply for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mygov.scot\/best-start-grant-best-start-foods\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Pregnancy and Baby Payment<\/a> instead. This is currently \u00a3754.65 for your first child.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once your baby is born, you may be entitled to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/allowances\/self-employed-tax-free-childcare\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"1516\" >tax-free childcare<\/a> or Child Benefit.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>If you have any lingering questions about maternity pay for self-employed women, ask away in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Small business guides and resources<\/h3>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/resources\/small-business-cost-of-living-support\/\">Cost of living support and resources<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/funding\/business-grants-for-women\/\" data-type=\"knowledge\" data-id=\"23447\" >Small business grants for women<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/get.simplybusiness.co.uk\/empowering-women-in-business\/\">Empowering Women in Business initiative <\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-list-item\"><a href=\"\/business-insurance\/faq\/what-type-of-business-insurance-do-i-need\/\">What type of business insurance do I need?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-azure-200-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-94e519ba wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"lookingforfreelancerinsurance\">Looking for freelancer insurance?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph\">As the UK&#8217;s biggest <a href=\"\/business-insurance\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"5152\" >business insurance<\/a> provider, we protect the self-employed workers who&#8217;re building Britain. Why not take a look now and build a quick, tailored <a href=\"\/business-insurance\/freelancers-insurance\/\">freelancers insurance quote<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/quote.simplybusiness.co.uk\/business\">Start your quote<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"nba-body-end\">\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Don\u2019t miss out on the chance to run your business whilst being a parent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3992,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"sb_hreflang":"","sb_hreflang_url":"","disable_breadcrumbs":false,"sb_breadcrumbs":[],"sb_reviewed_by":"","sb_review_date":"","sb_enable_content_gating":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[336,342,110],"hidden-category":[],"coauthors":[24],"class_list":["post-1251","knowledge","type-knowledge","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-structure","category-staff","category-business-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Self-employed maternity pay: what you need to know<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Self-employed maternity pay offers more flexibility and freedom to self-employed women. Learn how to get maternity pay for the self-employed.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/staff\/self-employed-maternity-pay\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Self-employed maternity pay: what you need to know\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Don\u2019t miss out on the chance to run your business whilst being a parent.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/staff\/self-employed-maternity-pay\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Simply Business UK\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/simplybusiness\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-22T13:04:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2024\/06\/self-employed-maternity-pay.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@simplybusiness\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"Rosanna Parrish\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/staff\/self-employed-maternity-pay\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/knowledge\/staff\/self-employed-maternity-pay\/\"},\"author\":{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"name\":\"Rosanna Parrish\",\"description\":\"Rosanna Parrish is a Copywriter at Simply Business specialising in side hustles \u2013 as well as all things freelance, social media, and ecommerce. 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