Maternity Allowance for gig workers
What it is
Maternity Allowance is a DWP benefit for people who do not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay. Self-employed gig workers cannot get SMP from Uber, Deliveroo or Amazon Flex because the platforms do not employ them on payroll. Maternity Allowance pays up to 39 weeks at between £27 and £194.32 a week in 2025-26, depending on Class 2 National Insurance history. This page is general guidance, not a substitute for professional benefits advice. Speak to Working Families, Citizens Advice or Maternity Action for a personal check.
How it applies to you
The core test is the 26-in-66 rule. You need to have been registered as self-employed for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before your due date. Those weeks do not need to be continuous. For the full £194.32 rate you also need Class 2 NI paid or treated as paid for at least 13 of those 66 weeks. From 6 April 2024, if your profits meet the Small Profits Threshold (£6,845 for 2025-26, per Working Families), you are treated as having paid Class 2 even without a cash payment. If your Class 2 history is short, HMRC can contact you after you claim and let you top up to push the rate up. A 29 year old Deliveroo rider in Leeds earning £180 a week on an e-bike, registered with HMRC since January 2025 with a baby due November 2026, should qualify on the 26-in-66 test. Her rate depends on how many weeks of Class 2 she has. If the answer is short, she can top up. Payments can start 11 weeks before the due date. You claim once you are 26 weeks pregnant, using the MA1 form, your MATB1 certificate and self-employment details. Maternity Allowance counts as unearned income inside Universal Credit, so it reduces any UC award. A self-employed partner does not get statutory paternity or shared parental leave or pay. That gap is real and you should budget for unpaid time. Uber, Deliveroo and Amazon Flex have no proper maternity pause system, so long inactivity can trigger document rechecks or deactivation when you return. From 6 April 2026 the full rate rises to £194.32 in the 2026 to 27 year, per Working Families. Check the live rate on GOV.UK when you claim.
Action steps
- Count back 66 weeks from your due date and check you were registered self-employed for 26 of them.
- Claim MA from 26 weeks pregnant using the MA1 form plus MATB1.
- Report pregnancy and MA to UC straight away if you claim it.
- Budget for unpaid time if your partner is also self-employed.
- Screenshot platform account status before you stop, in case of later deactivation.
What it is
Maternity Allowance is a DWP benefit for people who do not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay. Self-employed gig workers cannot get SMP from Uber, Deliveroo or Amazon Flex because the platforms do not employ them on payroll. Maternity Allowance pays up to 39 weeks at between £27 and £194.32 a week in 2025-26, depending on Class 2 National Insurance history.
This page is general guidance, not a substitute for professional benefits advice. Speak to Working Families, Citizens Advice or Maternity Action for a personal check.
How it applies to gig workers
The core test is the 26-in-66 rule. You need to have been registered as self-employed for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before your due date. Those weeks do not need to be continuous. For the full £194.32 rate you also need Class 2 NI paid or treated as paid for at least 13 of those 66 weeks. From 6 April 2024, if your profits meet the Small Profits Threshold (£6,845 for 2025-26, per Working Families), you are treated as having paid Class 2 even without a cash payment. If your Class 2 history is short, HMRC can contact you after you claim and let you top up to push the rate up.
A 29 year old Deliveroo rider in Leeds earning £180 a week on an e-bike, registered with HMRC since January 2025 with a baby due November 2026, should qualify on the 26-in-66 test. Her rate depends on how many weeks of Class 2 she has. If the answer is short, she can top up. Payments can start 11 weeks before the due date. You claim once you are 26 weeks pregnant, using the MA1 form, your MATB1 certificate and self-employment details.
Maternity Allowance counts as unearned income inside Universal Credit, so it reduces any UC award. A self-employed partner does not get statutory paternity or shared parental leave or pay. That gap is real and you should budget for unpaid time. Uber, Deliveroo and Amazon Flex have no proper maternity pause system, so long inactivity can trigger document rechecks or deactivation when you return.
From 6 April 2026 the full rate rises to £194.32 in the 2026 to 27 year, per Working Families. Check the live rate on GOV.UK when you claim.
What you should do about it
- Count back 66 weeks from your due date and check you were registered self-employed for 26 of them.
- Claim MA from 26 weeks pregnant using the MA1 form plus MATB1.
- Report pregnancy and MA to UC straight away if you claim it.
- Budget for unpaid time if your partner is also self-employed.
- Screenshot platform account status before you stop, in case of later deactivation.
Last reviewed
19 April 2026
Internal links this page emits (3-5):
- Class 2 NI and what it unlocks
- check your Maternity Allowance rate
- working while pregnant on platforms
- telling the platform you are pregnant
- pregnancy hub for gig workers
Primary source used:
Research/Gap/G3.2-maternity-allowance.mdResearch/Gap/G8.2-pregnancy-continuing-gig-work.md
Before you leave
Sources
- GOV.UK Maternity Allowance
- Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 section 35
- DWP Maternity Allowance MA1 claim form
- GOV.UK MATB1 maternity certificate
- Working Families Maternity Allowance guide
- Maternity Action self-employed maternity rights
- Citizens Advice Maternity Allowance information