Existing Benefits
New Benefits
Existing Benefits
If the customer's partner is already in receipt of Incapacity Benefit she should obtain form MAT B1 from her doctor or midwife and submit it to Incapacity Benefits Branch as soon as possible.
Maternity Allowance can be paid for up to 39 weeks starting from the 11th week before the week in which their baby is due.
To get Maternity Allowance the customer must have been employed or self-employed for at least 26 weeks in their 66 week test period and earned on average at least £30 any 13 weeks within the test period.
Extra benefit may be added to her Maternity Allowance if she supports her spouse or someone else who looks after children or qualifying young persons for her.
If Maternity Allowance is awarded this will affect any payment of Incapacity Benefit she gets or is paid for her.
If the customer's partner does not qualify for Maternity Allowance she may be able to get/continue to get Incapacity Benefit.
Her maternity certificate (MAT B1) can be accepted as evidence of incapacity for work, for the period starting six weeks before the week in which her baby is expected, to two weeks after the actual date of birth.
If Maternity Allowance is not allowed, her right to Incapacity Benefit will be considered automatically, a separate claim is not needed, but she must claim no more than three months after her baby is born.
For full details of Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance see leaflet NIL17A, "A guide to maternity benefits".
If the customer is receiving Incapacity Benefit and does not receive an increase in his benefit for his partner, he may be able to claim an increase if she has had to cease work because of her pregnancy.
If the customer's partner receives any Maternity Allowance, Statutory Maternity Pay or Incapacity Benefit this will affect the increase.
If the customer does not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance, Statutory Sick Pay will stop at the end of the fifth week before her baby is due if she is sick with a pregnancy-related illness, or the day following the date of confinement, whichever is the earlier.
Income Support/Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based)
It is the responsibility of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) to issue Healthy Start Vouchers. If the person wishes to claim Healthy Start Vouchers and vitamins they should contact the DHSSPS.
Written verification of the customer's pregnancy must be obtained (for example, MAT B1) from either her doctor or midwife as soon as pregnancy is confirmed.
Most other benefits received will be taken into account when entitlement to Income Support/Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based) is being assessed, including:
Disability Living AllowanceSevere Disablement AllowanceIf the adult dependant is entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay the normal earnings rules apply i.e. an increase is not payable if the partner earns more than £60.50.
If the adult dependant qualifies for Maternity Allowance in her own right any Severe Disablement Allowance dependency increase payable will be extinguished.
The customer's Housing Benefit will not be affected if they or their partner are pregnant.
New Benefits
If a customer's partner works for an employer and is expecting a baby, she may be entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay, whether she intends to return to work or not.
Statutory Maternity Pay can be paid for up to 39 weeks can be paid from the beginning of the 11th week before the week in which the baby is due.
She must tell her employer that she intends to stop work because of her pregnancy, at least 28 days before she intends to do so.
She must give her employer her maternity certificate (form MAT B1 which her doctor or midwife will give her) within 3 weeks of starting her maternity pay period.
If the baby is born before or during the 15th week and the customer would have completed 26 weeks employment with her employer into the 15th week, but for the early birth, Statutory Maternity Pay will still be payable.
If the customer is dismissed, or her employment is otherwise ended without her consent, during or after the 15th week, Statutory Maternity Pay may still be payable.
For full details on Statutory Maternity Pay see leaflet NIL17A 'A guide to maternity benefits.'
Sure Start Maternity Grant (Social Fund)If the customer or their partner are receiving:
they could qualify for a Sure Start Maternity Grant to help pay for things for a new baby. If they are adopting a baby they can apply for a payment if the baby is not more than 12 months old when they apply. They can apply up to three months after the date of the adoption order. A Sure Start Maternity Grant may also be awarded if there has been a surrogate birth and a parental order has been obtained.
The payment is £500 for each baby expected, born, adopted, or subject to a parental order.
Any capital the customer or partner has will not affect the amount of the award.
To claim, the customer should ask their local Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office for claim form SF 100. If she is expecting a baby, she can apply at any time from 11 weeks before the week her baby is due, until her baby is three months old.
Maternity Allowance/Incapacity BenefitMaternity Allowance can be paid for up to 39 weeks starting from the 11th week before the week in which their baby is due.
To get Maternity Allowance the customer’s partner must satisfy two conditions, the employment condition and the earnings condition.
To satisfy the employment condition the customer’s partner must have been employed or self-employed in at least 26 weeks in the test period. The test period is the period of 66 weeks up to and including the week before the week in which the baby is due.
To satisfy the earnings condition the customer’s partner must have earned at least £30 a week on average from all her employments. This £30 a week minimum is called the Maternity Allowance Threshold (MAT).
Extra benefit may be added to the customer's Maternity Allowance for a spouse or civil partner or someone else who looks after children or qualifying young persons for them.
To claim, the customer's partner must complete form MA 1 which she can get from her local Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office, Maternity or Child Health Clinic.
The completed form should be sent to Incapacity Benefits Branch not earlier than 14 weeks before the week her baby is due.
The customer's partner should ensure that she also sends her maternity certificate (form MAT B1), which her doctor or midwife will give her, with the MA 1.
If her Maternity Allowance claim is disallowed, she may be able to continue to claim Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based) after the beginning of the 11th week before the week in which her baby is due if she is available for and capable of work.
For full details on Maternity Allowance see leaflet NIL17A, "A guide to maternity benefits".
If the customer's partner does not qualify for Maternity Allowance she may be able to get Incapacity Benefit.
Her maternity certificate is accepted as evidence of incapacity for work for the period starting six weeks before the week her baby is due to two weeks after the actual date of birth.
If her Maternity Allowance is not allowed her right to Incapacity Benefit will be considered automatically, a separate claim is not needed, but she must claim no more than three months after her baby is born.
If she is already in receipt of Incapacity Benefit she should obtain form MAT B1 from her doctor or midwife and submit it to Incapacity Benefits Branch as soon as possible.
They will issue her with form MA 1 to claim Maternity Allowance at the appropriate time. If Maternity Allowance is awarded this will affect any payment of Incapacity Benefit she receives or is paid for her.
If the customer is in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based) or Income Support then any benefit paid to their partner must be declared.
Automatic Entitlement
Others
Entitlement to the following is not automatic:
If a customer is claiming free HS Treatment on the grounds of low income, they should claim on form HC1 which they can get from a Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office, hospital, dentist, optician or family doctor.
The customer will need to fill in form HC5 if they have already paid and want a refund of health costs for HS dental treatment, sight tests, HS wigs and fabric supports, and necessary travel costs to and from hospital for HS treatment.
To claim a refund of prescription charges the customer must obtain a receipt form PS7 at the time the charge was paid.
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