Business tools · Self-employed women preparing for birth
Maternity allowance for the self-employed: understand and plan
Prepare for stopping work with a clearer picture: an article and estimator that distinguish the initial payment from a scenario after assessment.
Professional information · Checked 16 October 2026 · 2026 rules and caps
Illustration only
What should you prepare before starting?
Gather National Insurance income-base confirmations for the three complete months before stopping work and the previous assessment, if available. The advance amount paid is not the income base: payments may include adjustments and other charges, so conversion requires assumptions. The calculator offers a known income base or an estimated conversion of a regular monthly advance only.
Self-employed calculations initially use the advance-payment base compared with a previous assessment, followed by a review after the relevant assessment is received. An estimate of future profit is a planning scenario only. National Insurance explanation of the calculation ↗
Eligibility and amount are separate questions
The ordinary benefit period is 105 or 56 days, depending on the qualifying period. Eligibility considers insurance periods longer than the three income-base months. Self-employed registration and contribution payments must also be checked. Selecting a period in the calculator does not confirm eligibility. Benefit periods · Eligibility conditions
Your options: what does the calculator estimate, and what needs a separate review?
Advance-payment bases, with no previous assessment: The initial estimate uses the income bases entered.
A previous assessment is available: The simple route compares the bases and uses the higher one, subject to the cap.
No current-year assessment yet: You may enter an annual estimate for a scenario only. It is not an assessment and does not change the initial estimate.
The actual assessment arrives later: National Insurance reconciles the payment. There may be an additional payment or a debt; the calculator's difference is neither a payment notice nor a debt demand.
Both an employee and self-employed: Each route, its qualifying periods and the combined cap need review. This simple calculator does not combine them.
Base months crossing tax years, a partial activity year or a status change: Adjustments not covered here are required. Multiple births, hospitalisation, extensions, reserve-duty income and other exceptional circumstances also require review. This list is not exhaustive.
An example to explain the arithmetic only
Three monthly income bases of ILS 12,000 produce a daily base of ILS 400: ILS 36,000 divided by 90. Assuming eligibility for 105 days, the gross estimate is ILS 42,000. If a previously approved annual base is ILS 180,000 over 12 base months, the simple comparison gives ILS 500 per day and ILS 52,500 in total. This example does not guarantee eligibility, a net amount or actual payment.
Estimation calculator · 2026
What might your maternity allowance be?
Enter your figures. Explanations of the estimate and data handling follow the calculator.
Estimate only — a non-binding result
The calculator determines neither eligibility nor payment and binds neither National Insurance, the Tax Authority nor the firm. Results depend on inputs, model assumptions and authority review, and may differ from actual payment. Do not rely on them for a financial decision without individual professional review. The law and the competent authority's decision prevail.
For a personal enquiry with National Insurance
Contact the maternity / maternity allowance department and request a review of the income base and calculation against your file. A final amount is not guaranteed before all information and assessments arrive; a preliminary response may change.
In the enquiry form, select the appropriate maternity / maternity allowance topic and branch from the available options. Prepare advance-base confirmations, available assessments, and work-stopping and birth dates. Do not submit identification through this calculator: enquiries take place only on the official site, and entries are not transferred automatically.
Use the result to prepare a discussion with the firm and plan cash flow. Verify insurance and assessment information before relying on it. The expected birth date may change, and personal circumstances may affect eligibility and payment.
The model divides the three-month base by 90 and a simple annual comparison over 12 base months by 360. This is an approximation conditional on verified base information, not a calculation of every National Insurance adjustment. Deductions, partial periods and calculations crossing tax years are not included.
Rules and cap checked on 16 October 2026. This independent calculator is not an official National Insurance service. It does not establish eligibility, give personal advice or promise an amount.
Non-binding estimate. Neither an eligibility confirmation nor an official calculation.
Privacy: entries are calculated in the browser and are not sent by the calculator to the firm or National Insurance. This copy is created only when the user chooses to print or save a PDF; its retention and sharing are under the user's control.
The result depends on National Insurance records, assessments, the cap and eligibility. It is gross: income tax, National Insurance and health insurance may be deducted according to individual information and approvals. Net payment is not calculated. Converting an advance to an income base is conditional and approximate, not an approved income base. Do not rely on this summary without individual review. An annual scenario is neither an assessment nor a promise of payment or an adjustment.
Sources: www.btl.gov.il — maternity allowance amount, benefit period and self-employed insurance rates. 2026 rules and caps; checked 16 October 2026.
