If you have worked for your employer for 6 months or more, you are entitled to 18 weeks of statutory maternity pay (SMP) even if you don't plan to return to work after the birth. This starts 11 weeks before the birth at the earliest.
To claim SMP, inform your employer at least 3 weeks before you stop working. You may need a maternity certificate (form MAT B1, available from your mid-wife or doctor) as proof of pregnancy.
Your job must be kept open for you for up to 29 weeks after the birth if you have worked there for 2 years full-time or 5 years part-time, and you told your employers you were returning to work.
