Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992

MaternityN.I.

35 State maternity allowance.N.I.

[F1(1)A woman shall be entitled to a maternity allowance, at the appropriate weekly rate determined under section 35A below, if—

(a)she has become pregnant and has reached, or been confined before reaching, the commencement of the 11th week before the expected week of confinement; and

(b)she has been engaged in employment as an employed or self-employed earner for any part of the week in the case of at least 26 of the 66 weeks immediately preceding the expected week of confinement; and

[F2(c)her average weekly earnings (within the meaning of section 35A below) are not less than the maternity allowance threshold for the tax year in which the beginning of the period of 66 weeks mentioned in paragraph (b) above falls;]

(d)she is not entitled to statutory maternity pay for the same week in respect of the same pregnancy.]

(2)Subject to the following provisions of this section, a maternity allowance shall be payable for the period (“the maternity allowance period”) which, if she were entitled to statutory maternity pay, would be the maternity pay period under section 161 below.

(3)Regulations may provide—

(a)for disqualifying a woman for receiving a maternity allowance if—

(i)during the maternity allowance period she does any work in employment as an employed or self-employed earner, or fails without good cause to observe any prescribed rules of behaviour; or

(ii)at any time before she is confined she fails without good cause to attend for, or submit herself to, any medical examination required in accordance with the regulations;

(b)that this section and [F3section 35A below] shall have effect subject to prescribed modifications in relation to cases in which a woman has been confined and—

(i)has not made a claim for a maternity allowance in expectation of that confinement (other than a claim which has been disallowed); or

(ii)has made a claim for a maternity allowance in expectation of that confinement (other than a claim which has been disallowed), but she was confined more than 11 weeks before the expected week of confinement.

[F4(c)that subsection (2) above shall have effect subject to prescribed modifications in relation to cases in which a woman fails to satisfy the conditions referred to in subsection (1)(b) [F5or (c) above] at the commencement of the 11th week before the expected week of confinement, but subsequently satisfies those conditions at any time before she is confined.]

(4)A woman who has become entitled to a maternity allowance shall cease to be entitled to it if she dies before the beginning of the maternity allowance period; and if she dies after the beginning, but before the end, of that period, the allowance shall not be payable for any week subsequent to that in which she dies.

(5)Where for any purpose of this Part of this Act or of regulations it is necessary to calculate the daily rate of a maternity allowance—

(a)Sunday or such other day in each week as may be prescribed shall be disregarded; and

(b)the amount payable by way of that allowance for any other day shall be taken as one sixth of the weekly rate of the allowance.

(6)In this section “confinement” means—

(a)labour resulting in the issue of a living child, or

(b)labour after [F624 weeks] of pregnancy resulting in the issue of a child whether alive or dead,

and “confined” shall be construed accordingly; and where a woman’s labour begun on one day results in the issue of a child on another day she shall be taken to be confined on the day of the issue of the child or, if labour results in the issue of twins or a greater number of children, she shall be taken to be confined on the day of the issue of the last of them.

[F7(6A)In this section “the maternity allowance threshold”, in relation to a tax year, means (subject to subsection (6B) below) £30.

(6B)Whenever the Secretary of State makes an order under section 35(6B) of the Great Britain Contributions and Benefits Act (increase of maternity allowance threshold), the Department may make a corresponding order for Northern Ireland.]

(7)The fact that the mother of a child is being paid maternity allowance shall not be taken into consideration by any court in deciding whether to order payment of expenses incidental to the birth of the child.

[F835A Appropriate weekly rate of maternity allowance.N.I.

[F9(1)For the purposes of section 35(1) above the appropriate weekly rate is (subject to subsection (5A) below) whichever is the lower rate of—

(a)a weekly rate equivalent to 90 per cent. of the woman's average weekly earnings; and

(b)the weekly rate for the time being prescribed under section 162(1)(b) below.

(2)

(3)]

(4)For the purposes of this section a woman’s

(5)Regulations may, for the purposes of subsection (4) above, provide—

(a)for the amount of any payments falling within paragraph (a) or (b) of that subsection to be calculated or estimated in such manner and on such basis as may be prescribed;

(b)for a payment made outside the specified period to be treated as made during that period where it was referable to that period or any part of it;

(c)for a woman engaged in employment as a self-employed earner to be treated as having received a payment in respect of a week—

(i)equal to [F10an amount 90 per cent. of which is equal to the weekly rate prescribed under section 162(1)(b) below that is] in force on the last day of the week, if she paid a Class 2 contribution in respect of the week, or

(ii)equal to the maternity allowance threshold in force on that day, if she was excepted (under section 11(4) above) from liability for such a contribution in respect of the week;

(d)for aggregating payments made or treated as made to or for the benefit of a woman where, either in the same week or in different weeks, she was engaged in two or more employments (whether, in each case, as an employed earner or a self-employed earner).

[F11(5A)Where subsection (5B) below applies the appropriate weekly rate is the weekly rate for the time being prescribed under section 162(1)(b) below.

(5B)This subsection applies where a woman is treated by virtue of regulations under sub-paragraph (i) of paragraph (c) of subsection (5) above as having received a payment in respect of each week in the specified period equal to the amount mentioned in that sub-paragraph.]

[F12(6)In this section—

• “the maternity allowance threshold” has the same meaning as in section 35 above;

• “specified” means prescribed by or determined in accordance with regulations.

(7)]]