What can I claim if I do not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay?
Short answer
Maternity Allowance is the main alternative — for self-employed women, recent job changers and lower earners. The standard rate is £194.32 a week for up to 39 weeks and, unlike SMP, it is not taxable. If you qualify for neither, claim Universal Credit and check the Sure Start Maternity Grant.
Statutory Maternity Pay is only payable if you have worked for the same employer for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before your due date and earn at least the National Insurance lower earnings limit of £129 a week. Miss either test — because you are self-employed, changed jobs recently, or earn below the limit — and the fallback is Maternity Allowance from the DWP.
Maternity Allowance
The qualifying test is much wider: you must have been employed or self-employed for at least 26 of the 66 weeks before your baby is due, and those weeks do not have to be continuous. Employed claimants need average earnings of at least £30 a week in 13 of those weeks; self-employed people paying Class 2 National Insurance generally qualify.
- Standard rate: £194.32 a week for up to 39 weeks, the same weekly figure as SMP after the first six weeks.
- Lower rate: £27 a week if you are self-employed with a Small Earnings Exception or do not meet the full earnings test.
- Claim on form MA1 from 26 weeks of pregnancy; payment can start 11 weeks before your due date.
Maternity Allowance is not taxable, which narrows the real gap with SMP — SMP is treated as earnings and has income tax and National Insurance deducted.
If you qualify for neither
Claim Universal Credit for your living costs, and work through the additional support that does not depend on maternity pay at all:
- Sure Start Maternity Grant — a one-off, non-repayable £500 on a qualifying benefit, but only if you have no other children under 16 (unless expecting a multiple birth). Claim on form SF100 within 11 weeks of your due date or three months of the birth. Scotland has the more generous Best Start Grant instead.
- Free NHS prescriptions and dental treatment during pregnancy and for 12 months after the birth — claim with form FW8 through your midwife or GP.
- Healthy Start card payments, and Child Benefit at £27.05 a week for the first child and £17.90 for each additional child, which is backdatable only three months, so claim promptly.
Related guides
Maternity Benefits Overview
If you are pregnant or have recently had a baby, there are several financial benefits available to support you. The main forms of support include Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) paid by your employer, Maternity Allowance (MA) for those who do not qualify for SMP, the Sure Start Maternity Grant for families on low incomes, and the Best Start Grant in Scotland. Understanding which payments you qualify for — and when to claim — can make a significant difference to your finances during this period.
10 min
Universal Credit
Universal Credit is the main working-age benefit in the UK, replacing six older benefits including Jobseeker's Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, and Housing Cost support. It supports people who are on a low income, out of work, or unable to work due to illness or disability. Understanding how it works can make a significant difference to your financial situation.
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Healthy Start Vouchers
Healthy Start is a government scheme providing a prepaid NHS Mastercard loaded with money every four weeks to help low-income pregnant women and families with young children buy healthy food and vitamins. The old paper vouchers were replaced in 2021 by a reloadable card accepted at most major supermarkets across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. If you are on a qualifying benefit — or are under 18 and pregnant — you may be entitled to hundreds of pounds of support each year that never affects your other benefit payments.
6 min
Child Benefit Basics
Child Benefit is a regular tax-free payment for people who are responsible for a child under 16 (or under 20 in approved education or training). It is not means-tested, so anyone responsible for a qualifying child can claim — though households where either partner earns over £60,000 may face a High Income Child Benefit Charge.
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