Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2002

Entitlement to statutory maternity pay

3.  In section 160 of the Contributions and Benefits Act (statutory maternity pay – entitlement and liability to pay)—

(a) in subsection (2)(a), the words “, wholly or partly because of pregnancy or confinement” shall cease to have effect;

(b) for subsection (4) there is substituted—

“(4) A woman shall be entitled to payments of statutory maternity pay only if—

(a) she gives the person who will be liable to pay it notice of the date from which she expects his liability to pay her statutory maternity pay to begin; and

(b) the notice is given at least 28 days before that date or, if that is not reasonably practicable, as soon as is reasonably practicable.”;

(c) in paragraph (e) of subsection (9), for sub-paragraphs (i) to (iii) there is substituted “in such cases as may be prescribed”; and

(d) after that paragraph there is inserted—

“(ea) provide that subsection (4) above shall not have effect, or shall have effect subject to prescribed modifications, in such cases as may be prescribed;”.