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 25th 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 Incapacity Benefit for 6 weeks before the week your baby is due and for 2 weeks after the birth.
