This advice applies to England

There’s a good chance you’ll be able to get maternity pay if you're having a baby and you have a job or had one recently. You could get one of these:

• statutory maternity pay: the standard type of maternity pay - if you're entitled to this it's the legal minimum your employer can pay you
• contractual maternity pay: some employers offer this instead of statutory maternity pay - your contract or company maternity policy should tell you if yours does
• Maternity Allowance: you might get this from the government if you can’t get statutory maternity pay from your employer

These payments would be as well as any maternity leave you get.

It’s also worth seeing what other help and benefits you're entitled to - such as Child Tax Credit, Healthy Start vouchers and a Sure Start grant. You can claim some benefits before you give birth, so it’s worth checking as soon as you can.

When you can get statutory maternity pay

This is the type of maternity pay that most people get. Your employer has to pay you this if:

• you work for your employer in the 15th week before your baby is due and have worked for them for at least 26 weeks before that (you can find your dates by entering your due date below)
• your average pay, before tax, is at least £123 a week

Your average pay is worked out over 8 weeks, finishing roughly 15 weeks before your due date. Contact your nearest Citizens Advice if you're close to the minimum pay and need to work out your exact average.

If you’ve been furloughed, your average pay is worked out from what your regular pay would have been - not your furlough pay.

If your employer is taken over by another business your weeks of work will include time working for both employers.

If you're entitled to it, also check how to get statutory maternity pay, including what to do if your employer won't pay.