Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)
SMP in EEA countries
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is paid by employers to help women take time off work when they expect a baby. It is paid for up to 39 weeks. If you are employed by a UK employer, have been employed by that employer for at least 26 weeks, and your employer pays employers UK National Insurance contributions on your earnings in that period and your earnings are on average at least equal to the lower earnings limit in the appropriate reference period, you can get Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) while you are in another EEA country. If you are employed in the UK by a UK employer in the 15th week before your expected week of childbirth and paying UK National Insurance in that week, employment by the same employer within the EEA will count towards the 26 weeks employment you need for SMP even if your employer did not pay UK National insurance for some of the 26 week period.
Also, a woman who has qualified for SMP but is absent from Great Britain in an EEA country during her SMP pay period, may continue to receive SMP. You do not need to be a national of any EEA country to get SMP in another EEA country.
SMP in social security agreement countries
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is paid by employers to help women take time off work when they expect a baby. It is paid for up to 39 weeks. If you are employed by a UK employer, have been employed by that employer for at least 26 weeks, your employer pays UK National Insurance on your earnings in that period and your earnings are on average at least equal to the lower earnings limit in the appropriate reference period, you can get SMP while you are in another country. The rate of benefit depends on your average weekly earnings. If you do not work for an employer or you are not entitled to SMP for another reason, but you are insured under the UK scheme, you may, depending on the country that has the agreement with the UK, get UK Maternity Allowance instead.
A woman who has qualified for SMP but is absent from Great Britain in another country during her SMP pay period may continue to receive SMP.
