The two main maternity benefits available are;
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Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) from your employer and
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Maternity Allowance (MA) from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Jobcentre Plus.
These payments are intended to help you take time off work both before and after the date your baby is due. You cannot get both at the same time.
Statutory Maternity Pay is a benefit that you may be able to get from your employer and is paid weekly. Qualifying conditions are based on the length of your employment and how much you earn.
If you don’t qualify for SMP, you may be able to get:
Maternity Allowance from Jobcentre Plus. You may be able to get MA if you have been employed or self-employed for some of the time during and before you became pregnant and your earnings for part of that time were at least £30 a week and it is a weekly payment.
If you are not entitled to get either SMP or MA, you may be able to get employment and support allowance .
If you or your partner are getting Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element or Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability element is included in the award, you may be able to get a Sure Start Maternity Grant from the Social Fund.
Maternity leave
>All pregnant employees are entitled to 26 weeks Ordinary Maternity Leave and 26 weeks Additional Maternity Leave whether or not they qualify for SMP or MA. Additional Maternity Leave starts immediately after Ordinary Maternity Leave so women have 52 weeks maternity leave in total.
Paternity Leave and Pay
It may be one or two weeks paternity leave and Statutory Paternity Pay so that they can take time off work to care for the baby or support the mother following birth. You must be either the baby’s biological father or the partner of the mother to qualify.
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