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Employee getting ready to go on neonatal leave.

Maternity certificate (MAT B1 form)

The MAT B1 maternity certificate provides evidence of an employee’s pregnancy and expected week of childbirth, which employers may require to confirm entitlement to maternity leave and statutory maternity pay. This resource includes a sample MAT B1 form and explains how it is used within the maternity leave and pay process.

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By Susan Dennehy, Brightmine Legal Adviser

To be eligible to take maternity leave, the employee must inform their employer (in writing if so requested) that they are pregnant, of their expected week of childbirth and of the date on which they intend their maternity leave to start. They must provide this notification no later than the end of the 15th week before their expected week of childbirth, unless this is not reasonably practicable, in which case they must provide the notification as soon as is reasonably practicable.

The employee must, if requested by their employer, produce a certificate from a registered medical practitioner or midwife (a MAT B1 form) stating the expected week of childbirth.

This is a sample version of the MAT B1 maternity certificate that a registered midwife or doctor can give to an employee as evidence of their pregnancy and expected week of childbirth to claim statutory maternity pay or maternity allowance.

In this resource, you will find:

  • Example letter wording
  • Supporting guidance for using this letter

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About the author

Susan Dennehy

Susan Dennehy qualified as a solicitor in 2001 in the employment law department of a well-regarded central-London law firm, where she also undertook her training.

She moved on to work in-house as legal adviser in employment and HR to the regional media, where she gained significant experience in advising HR personnel and senior management on day-to-day practical HR issues as well as broader policy. She was also responsible for lobbying the Government on employment law matters.

She has a wide range of experience in advising both employees and employers on the full range of employment law topics.

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