Entrepreneur Mary asks Mum&Career
I am self employed and wondering if I can get any statutory maternity pay?
Also once the baby is born can you get help with childcare costs?
I know if I were employed I would get SMP and childcare vouchers but do I get anything if I’m self employed?
Melanie Stancliffe, Partner at Thomas Eggar Legal Services responds
If you are self employed working through your own limited company, then you may be an employee of that company. Employees are eligible to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP).
However, if you are self-employed, you might be eligible to receive a Maternity Allowance (MA), a benefit paid weekly by Jobcentre Plus (at the same rate as SMP). This cannot be received in combination with SMP. To be eligible, you would need to meet the following https://www.montauk-monster.com/pharmacy/doxycycline criteria:
1. During a period of 66 weeks up to and including the week before the week the baby is due, you must have been employed and/or self-employed for at least 26 weeks (this does not need to be a continuous period and weeks where you did not work a full week count towards this as well);
2. If you are self-employed, you must be registered as such with HMRC;
3. The earnings threshold must be satisfied, on average, over a period of employment and/or self-employment of 13 weeks. This currently stands at £30 a week.
MA is payable for up to 39 weeks and the mother is entitled to the lower of the prescribed rate of maternity allowance (currently £139.58 a week) or 90% of your normal weekly earnings.