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<p>The Government is committed to supporting all workers at this time, including working
parents.</p><p>Where a woman satisfies the Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) Employment
Test of 26 weeks of continuous employment into the 15th week before expected birth,
her employer must pay it to her even if she subsequently leaves their employment or
is made redundant. This test reflects the relationship between employer and employee
and is designed to ensure that a woman has made a reasonable contribution towards
her employer's business before that employer is required to fund and administer maternity
payments.</p><p>Maternity Allowance (MA) is intended to support those who do not qualify
for SMP. To qualify for MA a woman must have been employed and/or self-employed in
at least 26 of the 66 weeks before the week she expects her baby (the test period)
and earn on average at least £30 a week. Part-weeks of employment or self-employment
count as full weeks. That work does not have to be for the same employer, nor continuous,
nor undertaken on the same basis (i.e. a claim can be made where there is a mixture
of employment and self-employment or where the claimant has recently become unemployed).</p>
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