Maternity pay and leave
Extra help
Maternity benefits
Use a benefits calculator to see what help you can get from:
- Universal Credit
- Child Benefit
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit - this can continue for 39 weeks after you go on maternity leave
- Income Support - you may get this while you’re not working
You could get a £500 Sure Start Maternity Grant (usually if it’s your first child).
If you’re not eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay, you could get Maternity Allowance from the government.
Company maternity schemes
You might get more than the statutory amount of leave and pay if your employer has a company maternity scheme. They cannot offer you less than the statutory amount.
Extra leave
You could get 18 weeks’ unpaid parental leave after the birth - this may be restricted to 4 weeks per year.