Feeling stuck with my maternity allowance claim

EvelinaD

Hi,
My situation is this. I am pregnant, due in March and self-employed for 6 years, but also worked for an agency for a couple of weeks in October 2025 and had to stop as I felt the physical job would be too hard for me while I was pregnant. I want to send my maternity allowance claim form to DWP now, but haven't done it because the following things are unclear to me: 

1. Must I provide the information about agency work on my MA claim form, even though its duration was very short? 
2. I've recently logged onto my gov.uk account, and the agency is still being shown as my "current employment", but my last shift was October 31. Am I considered to still be employed or not anymore? I didn't receive my P45 after I stopped taking shifts, and they had kept me on their books. There is a question on MA form whether my contract with agency is still ongoing; should I write that it ended October 31 or wait for my P45 and write 'Leaving date' provided in it? 
3. Do I need to get SMP1 form from the agency or just make a claim as a self-employed person? I have contacted them this morning, they said my P45 was ready and I would receive it until Friday, and as for maternity allowance, I should just contact Jobcentre. No mention of SMP1. Does that mean that agencies operate differently to 'normal' employers and I can't get SMP1 or they just don't know the rules? Or due to a very short number of shifts my MA claim must be based purely on my self-employment? 
4. I know will have to pay some NI contributions to get the full MA rate, so is it better to pay NI straight after completing my self assessment, or first claim MA, wait for the correspondence and pay only then? 
5. If DWP write me back asking for more documentation, will I have to fill and send a new MA claim form and a MATB1 duplicate? 

I will be very grateful for your replies! 

Savvy_Sue

I'm afraid I can't help with most of this, but if you know you need to pay some NI, I'd get it done before putting your claim in. And is this one of the things where you have to have paid the NI in the 'right' years in order for it to 'count'? 

Have just checked and it's 13 weeks out of the 66 weeks before your EDD, AND it says that you can boost it after applying, they'll tell you how and how much - personally I'd still want to get it done before applying, although there is a part of me thinking that if you pay in response to their letter, it may show up in the right place sooner. 

P45 - I'd use the date given on that, even if it's more recent than your last shift. 

https://maternityaction.org.uk/advice/resigning-from-your-job-during-pregnancy-and-maternity-leave/#:~:text=You%20will%20still%20be%20entitled,meet%20the%20other%20qualifying%20conditions may answer your other questions. I think from that the agency is correct to direct you to Job Centre: if you were entitled to SMP (rather than MA) then it would be the former employer paying it. 

Marcon

EvelinaD said:

Hi,
My situation is this. I am pregnant, due in March and self-employed for 6 years, but also worked for an agency for a couple of weeks in October 2025 and had to stop as I felt the physical job would be too hard for me while I was pregnant. I want to send my maternity allowance claim form to DWP now, but haven't done it because the following things are unclear to me: 

1. Must I provide the information about agency work on my MA claim form, even though its duration was very short? 
2. I've recently logged onto my gov.uk account, and the agency is still being shown as my "current employment", but my last shift was October 31. Am I considered to still be employed or not anymore? I didn't receive my P45 after I stopped taking shifts, and they had kept me on their books. There is a question on MA form whether my contract with agency is still ongoing; should I write that it ended October 31 or wait for my P45 and write 'Leaving date' provided in it? 
3. Do I need to get SMP1 form from the agency or just make a claim as a self-employed person? I have contacted them this morning, they said my P45 was ready and I would receive it until Friday, and as for maternity allowance, I should just contact Jobcentre. No mention of SMP1. Does that mean that agencies operate differently to 'normal' employers and I can't get SMP1 or they just don't know the rules? Or due to a very short number of shifts my MA claim must be based purely on my self-employment? 
4. I know will have to pay some NI contributions to get the full MA rate, so is it better to pay NI straight after completing my self assessment, or first claim MA, wait for the correspondence and pay only then? 
5. If DWP write me back asking for more documentation, will I have to fill and send a new MA claim form and a MATB1 duplicate? 

I will be very grateful for your replies! 

Try calling https://pregnantthenscrewed.com/the-hr-advice-line/ (free). If they can't help with all the points you are asking, they can almost certainly point you in the direction of someone who can.