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Maternity Pay Calculator - Self-Employed
If you're self-employed you usually claim Maternity Allowance, not Statutory Maternity Pay. Work out your weekly amount, your 39-week total and your month-by-month income - it's tax-free and NI-free. 2024/25-2026/27. Everything stays in your browser.
How to use this calculator
Only the yellow box is needed. The rest fine-tune your result. Work through it like this:
- Fill in your baby's due date (from your MATB1 certificate or dating scan).
- Choose when your Maternity Allowance starts. Type a date into "When your Maternity Allowance starts", or press "Use earliest (11 weeks before due)" for the most time before the birth. It can start any time from 11 weeks before your due date, up to the day after the birth.
- Set how many weeks to take in "Weeks of Maternity Allowance to take" (up to 39).
- Tell us about your self-employment. Pick your tax year, then your Class 2 National Insurance: if your profits are above the Small Profits Threshold (about £6,800-7,100 a year) you're treated as paying Class 2 and get the full rate; otherwise it's £27 a week (you can top up your Class 2 after applying to get the full amount). Then enter how many of the 66 weeks before your due date you've been registered self-employed (you need at least 26).
- Add Child Benefit. Enter how many children you'll claim for, and if a parent earns over £60,000, tick the box and add their income so the High Income Child Benefit Charge is included.
- Add any Keeping in Touch (KIT) days with "+ Add KIT day(s)". You can work up to 10 without affecting your Maternity Allowance. Enter what you earn per day (that's normal self-employed income, taxed later via Self Assessment).
Then scroll down for your key dates, an eligibility check, a summary and a month-by-month view. Maternity Allowance is tax-free and NI-free, so what's shown is what you receive. Everything saves on this device, and you can print it.
Fill in the yellow box - everything else is optional.
1. Your dates
2. Your self-employment
3. Family & Child Benefit
4. Keeping in Touch (KIT) days
Your key dates
Eligibility
Summary
Month-by-month
| Tax month | Yr | Maternity Allowance | KIT income | Child Ben. | Total |
|---|
Income chart
Frequently asked questions
What is Maternity Allowance?
Maternity Allowance is a benefit for people who cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay, such as when self-employed. It is paid by the DWP (not an employer) for up to 39 weeks.
Can I get Maternity Allowance and SMP at the same time?
No. You cannot get both for the same pregnancy, as they are alternatives. If you qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) from your employer, you get SMP, not Maternity Allowance. Maternity Allowance is only for people who cannot get SMP, such as the self-employed, or employees who do not meet the SMP earnings and employment tests. If you have two jobs you can get SMP from each employer where you qualify, but being entitled to SMP from any employer rules out Maternity Allowance.
Do I get maternity leave if I'm self-employed?
There is no statutory maternity leave for the self-employed, so there is no set amount of time you have to take off. You decide when to stop working and when to go back, and Maternity Allowance (up to 39 weeks) is your main financial support during that time.
How much is Maternity Allowance?
Up to £187.18 a week in 2025/26 (£194.32 in 2026/27), for up to 39 weeks. It is tax-free and NI-free, so the amount shown is what you actually receive. If you are self-employed the amount depends on your Class 2 National Insurance. Pay enough (or have profits above the Small Profits Threshold) and you get the full rate, otherwise you may get the £27 lower rate.
Is Maternity Allowance means-tested?
No. Maternity Allowance is not means-tested, so your household income and your partner's earnings are not taken into account.
Am I eligible for Maternity Allowance?
You usually qualify if you have been employed or self-employed for at least 26 of the 66 weeks before your due date, and earned an average of at least £30 a week in at least 13 of those weeks. You can claim once you are 26 weeks pregnant.
What if I have not registered as self-employed yet?
You must be registered as self-employed with HMRC to claim Maternity Allowance, so register as soon as you can (HMRC can accept late registration). If you have not been registered for 26 weeks by the time your baby is due, you may still qualify if you can show you have been working on a self-employed basis.
Can I get Maternity Allowance if I help my partner's self-employed business?
You might. If you regularly take part in your self-employed spouse's or civil partner's business without being paid, and you are not a partner or an employee of it, you may be able to get Maternity Allowance for 14 weeks at the £27 weekly rate. You claim on form MA1.
Do I pay tax or National Insurance on Maternity Allowance?
No. It is tax-free and NI-free. Your business profits are taxed separately as usual through Self Assessment.
Does Maternity Allowance affect my other benefits?
It can. Maternity Allowance counts as income for Universal Credit and some other means-tested benefits, so it may reduce them (Child Benefit is separate and is not affected this way). It is worth checking how a claim affects your own situation.
When can Maternity Allowance start?
Any time from 11 weeks before your due date, up to the day after your baby is born. If you have not started it sooner, it usually begins the day after the birth.
Can I get Maternity Allowance if my baby is premature or stillborn?
Yes, if you meet the qualifying conditions. If your baby is born early, your Maternity Allowance period starts the day after the birth, and your 66-week test period still uses your original due date. If your baby is stillborn from the 24th week of pregnancy, you can still claim, sending the stillbirth certificate together with your MATB1.
Does my Class 2 National Insurance matter?
Yes. For the self-employed, your weekly rate is set by your Class 2 National Insurance, not by your actual earnings. You need at least 13 weeks of Class 2 NI in your 66-week test period for the full rate. If you have not paid enough, you can usually pay it voluntarily (about £3.65 a week for 2026/27) to reach the full rate. If you were first paid the £27 rate, you get the difference backdated once you have paid. Check with HMRC.
Can I work while claiming Maternity Allowance?
You can do up to 10 Keeping in Touch (KIT) days of paid work during your Maternity Allowance period without losing any MA, and these apply to the self-employed. If you do paid work beyond those 10 days you lose MA for at least the extra days worked, and even part of a day counts as a full day. You must tell the DWP about any days you work. Any money you earn is normal self-employed income, taxed later through Self Assessment (not here).
Can I do admin to keep my business going while on Maternity Allowance?
Yes. According to DWP guidance, minimal admin and maintenance to keep your business going does not count towards your 10 KIT days, as long as you are not paid directly for it. This includes necessary admin, essential upkeep of your website or equipment, responding to correspondence (not about work to be done before your MA ends), keeping formal qualifications and licences up to date, keeping your skills at an acceptable level (but not paid-for training), and lining up or preparing work that will start after your MA ends.
How do I claim Maternity Allowance?
Fill in claim form MA1 on GOV.UK, or get one from the DWP claim line on 0800 055 6688. You can claim once you are 26 weeks pregnant. Send your MATB1 maternity certificate with it (you do not need to prove your earnings if you are self-employed). This calculator estimates what you will get. It does not submit a claim.
Can I get Child Benefit as well?
Yes. Child Benefit is separate and is paid whatever you earn, though if a parent earns over £60,000 some is clawed back through the High Income Child Benefit Charge (all of it by £80,000). Add it here to see your total monthly income.
Is my information private?
Yes. Everything is worked out entirely in your own browser. Nothing you enter is sent to a server, saved or shared.