| When |
What to do |
Why |
| As soon as you know you are pregnant
|
Ask your doctor for form FW8 |
To apply for free NHS prescriptions |
| |
Tell your dentist (if you need treatment) |
To apply for free NHS treatment |
| |
Check leaflets G11 and H11, available for
your Social Security office; tell your Social Security
office if you are getting Income Support |
To check right to vouchers for glasses
and help with hospital fares |
| |
If you are working, tell your employer |
To find out if you can get Statutory
Maternity Pay (SMP) and to make sure you don't lose pay
for keeping ante-natal appointments |
| |
Find out if you can get Maternity
Allowance |
If you can't get SMP |
| 3 weeks before you intend to stop work
|
Tell your employer in writing that you
will be stopping work, the week the baby is due, and if
you intend to return to your job |
To protect your right to SMP and to
return to work |
| 14 weeks before the week your baby is
due (week 26) |
Ask your doctor or midwife for a
maternity certificate (form MAT B1) showing when your
baby is due |
You will need this to get either SMP or
Maternity Allowance |
| |
If you are employed, give MAT B1 to your
employer |
To protect your right to SMP and allow
your employer to work out your entitlement. If you delay
later than 3 weeks after your SMP could have started, you
may lose your SMP |
| |
If you cannot get SMP, ask at your Social
Security office for form MA 1 |
You can apply now for Maternity Allowance
on form MA 1 if you cannot get SMP |
| 11 weeks before the week your baby is
due (week 29) |
Apply for Maternity Payment from the
Social Fund if you or your partner are getting Income
Support or Family Credit |
To pay for things for the baby |
| |
Check to see if you can get SMP or
Maternity Allowance if you have not already done so |
SMP and Maternity Allowance can be paid
from now |
| 7 Weeks before the week your baby is
due (week 33) |
If you wish to get the full 18 weeks SMP
or Maternity Allowance you should stop work by the end of
this week |
You may lose part of your SMP or
Maternity Allowance if you work longer |
| As soon after the birth as you can |
Register the baby's birth |
To get the birth certificate and NHS card |
| |
Send off application form for Child
Benefit and One Parent Benefit |
To get Child Benefit and One Parent
Benefit |
| |
Check low income benefits |
To see if an extra child qualifies you
for Income Support, Family Credit, free prescriptions,
help with dental treatment and vouchers for glasses |
| By 6 weeks after the birth |
Register the baby's birth |
This is the latest date you can do it |
| 7 weeks after the week in which the
baby was due |
Reply in writing within 2 weeks to any
letter from your employer asking if you are going back to
work |
To protect your right to return to work |
| 3 weeks before returning to work |
Write to employer that you wish to return |
To protect your right to return to work |
| 3 months after birth |
If you or your partner are getting Income
Support or Family Credit apply for a Maternity Payment
from the Social Fund if you have not already done so |
You will lose Maternity Payment from the
Social Fund if you have not claimed by now |
| 6 months after the birth |
Claim Child Benefit |
This is the latest date for claiming if
Child Benefit is to be paid from the date of birth |
| 29 weeks form the beginning of the
week of the birth |
Latest time by which you have a right to
go back to your job |
You may lose your right to return |
