NI17A - A guide to Maternity Benefits
Maternity Allowance (MA)
Reasons for not getting MA
You may not be able to get MA (or will stop getting it if you were initially entitled to it) if:
- you are getting SMP from your employer or
- you do not satisfy the rules for MA or
- your baby is stillborn earlier than the 24th week of your pregnancy (see ‘Stillbirths’) or
- you are imprisoned or detained in legal custody, but you may be able to get MA on release or
- you are in a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or one with whom the UK has no reciprocal agreement. There is a list of countries that form the EEA and a list of countries with reciprocal agreements.
If you cannot get MA, you may be able to get Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) for 6 weeks before the week your baby is due for 14 days after the date on which your baby is born. You do not have to make a claim for ESA, Jobcentre Plus will automatically consider your entitlement to ESA for this period
