Maternity allowance.
This is an eighteen week tax-free
payment made to pregnant women who have
been working recently or who have
stopped work to have a child. Women are
eligible so long as they earn at least
£30 per week on average. The amount the
woman receives increases if she has an
adult dependant. Self-employed women may
also be eligible for maternity
allowance. If they have paid national
insurance contributions they will get
the same rate of maternity allowance as
employees.
