Can you earn money while on maternity leave? Rules for new mums explained
Make sure you understand the rules around earning money while on maternity leave so you don't jeopardise your maternity pay

If you’re pregnant and working, you’ll be entitled to maternity pay when you take time off to have your baby. When planning your finances for when you have a baby, it's important to understand how maternity pay is calculated so you know when and how you will get paid. But you may find it's not enough to see you through your maternity leave.
For many people, surviving on maternity pay will mean your finances are stretched thin. But you might be able to earn some extra money by doing certain types of work during your maternity leave. But you need to make sure you stay within the rules, or you could risk losing your maternity pay.
Head of personal finance at investment company AJ Bell, Laura Suter says: “Parents who want to take on extra work or work a second job while they are on parental leave need to make sure they’ve checked out the rules, otherwise they risk breaching them and losing their maternity pay.
“There are certain circumstances where you can work on maternity or paternity leave, but they are quite restricted, so make sure you’ve checked the details and checked with your employer.”
Can you earn money while on maternity leave?
In general, you are not allowed to work while you are on maternity leave and receiving maternity pay. If you do, your statutory maternity pay or maternity allowance will stop.
However, there are a few exceptions to this rule:
- ‘Keeping in touch’ (KIT) days with your employer(s)
- If you have two jobs
- Self-employed work
KIT days
You can work up to 10 keep in touch (KIT) days without it impacting your maternity pay. A KIT day can include any work you would normally do as part of your work, such as going to the office, training courses, attending conferences, or going to meetings.
Sarah Coles, senior personal finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, says: “These are optional, both you and your employer need to agree to it, and before you go into work, you should be clear about what you’ll be doing. This doesn’t affect your maternity pay or leave. Make sure you stick to the rules though. If you work more than 10 KIT days, you’ll lose a week’s maternity pay for any week you work an extra day.”
There isn’t a law that states how much you should be paid for a KIT day but employers are expected to pay your normal rate of pay, and you’ll definitely be paid at least the National Minimum Wage.
If you have two jobs
If you have two jobs and qualify for SMP from both, you can take your maternity leave and statutory maternity pay at different times for each job.
“If you have two jobs then you can do 10 KIT days for each employer. However, you need to have had this job on the 15th week of your pregnancy, so you can’t take on another job after this and qualify,” says personal finance expert Laura Suter.
“If you work two jobs you can also choose to take maternity leave at different times from each job. You might want to go back to work sooner with one job, which is fine and won’t affect the statutory maternity pay you get from the other employer.”
Self employed work
You may also be able to do freelance work while on maternity leave. Any self-employed work you do must be ‘genuine’ self-employment – you can’t work for your usual employer on a self-employed basis.
“You need to check whether your employment contract allows you to do any self-employed work elsewhere. Some will forbid it altogether, but if they allow it at other times, they can’t outlaw it while you’re on maternity leave,” says senior personal finance analyst Sarah Coles. “If you take this on, you’ll need to let the taxman know, and pay tax for this bit of your income through self-assessment. However, it won’t affect your maternity pay.”
Is there a limit to how much extra you can earn while on maternity leave?
There isn’t a limit as to how much money you can earn on a self-employed basis while you are getting you maternity pay.
However, you can only work up to 10 KIT days. How much you will get paid for these depends on your contract, but it must be at least the minimum wage.
Other ways to boost your income while on maternity leave
If you can’t work during maternity leave, you may be able to boost your income another way - this could include selling any old gadgets you may have lying around or learning how to sell clothes online for some extra money.
Money blogger Joseph Seager from ThriftyChap.com says: “If the nesting feeling continues, why not clear out and sell your unwanted stuff? It is said that most households have at least £500+ of stuff they no longer want or need. This is a good chunk of money to get your hands on. Listing on eBay will open up your items to a wider audience but you could also sell, fee-free, by using Facebook Marketplace.”
You can also read our article on how to make extra money if you need more inspiration.
Emma Lunn is a multi-award-winning journalist who specialises in personal finance and consumer issues. With more than 18 years of experience in personal finance, Emma has covered topics including all aspects of energy - from the energy price cap to prepayment meter tricks, as well as mortgages, banking, debt, budgeting, broadband, pensions and investments. Emma’s one of the most prolific freelance personal finance journalists with a back catalogue of work in newspapers such as The Guardian, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, the Mail on Sunday and the Mirror.
-
-
30 of the best self-care ideas to boost your health and manage stress – and they’re all free
Feeling out of sorts? Give yourself a lift with these tried-and-tested self-care ideas
By Rose Goodman • Published
-
7 surprisingly easy ways families can save money without even trying
Saving money is hard during a cost of living crisis, but make sure you know the ways you can save a bit more without feeling the pinch
By Rachel Lacey • Published
-
7 surprisingly easy ways families can save money without even trying
Saving money is hard during a cost of living crisis, but make sure you know the ways you can save a bit more without feeling the pinch
By Rachel Lacey • Published
-
How to switch energy suppliers and get a better deal for your family
Knowing how to switch energy suppliers could help lower bills when the energy price cap falls
By Rachel Wait • Published
-
Get high-street branded clothes for the whole family for less than £5 with this secret website
Plus you can bag a loads of high-street homeware bargains too!
By Sarah Handley • Published
-
6 places tired parents can get free coffee - you're welcome!
Find out how to get a free coffee and treat yourself to a guilt-free pick-me-up
By Rachel Wait • Published
-
How much does it cost to run a fan and can you have one in a baby's room?
Knowing how much it costs to run a fan is essential when the weather is warming up and energy bills are still high
By Sarah Handley • Published
-
It cost us £350 to bottle feed our baby, but we don't regret it one bit
We chat to the parents of three-year-old Max about the cost of their bottle feeding journey
By Sarah Handley • Published
-
Families are confused about the energy price cap - here are the 6 main need-to-knows
There's been so much going on when it comes to your family's energy bills over the last 18 months, it's no wonder people are confused
By Sarah Handley • Published
-
How much does a baby cost and how can you keep expenses down?
Knowing how much a baby costs can help you budget accordingly, but our money expert also explains how you can keep the cost low
By Emma Lunn • Published