The Statutory Maternity Pay (General) Regulations 1986

[F1Effect of statutory maternity pay on invalidity benefit

21A.[F2(1) For the purpose of determining a woman’s entitlement to invalidity pension under section 15 of the 1975 Act or under section 15 of the Social Security Pensions Act 1975, a day which falls within the maternity pay period shall, notwithstanding paragraph 11 of Schedule 4 to the 1986 Act, be treated as a day of incapacity for work for the purpose of determining whether it forms part of a period of interruption of employment where—

(a)on that day she was incapable of work by reason of some specific disease or bodily or mental disablement, work for this purpose being work which the woman can reasonably be expected to do; and

(b)that day is not treated under section 17(2) of the 1975 Act as a day which is not.a day of incapacity for work, and

(c)the day immediately preceding the first day in the maternity pay period falls within either a period of interruption of employment or a period of entitlement to statutory sick pay for the purposes of Part I of the Social Security and Housing Benefits Act 1982; and

(d)the woman either satisfied the contribution conditions specified for sickness benefit on the first day of incapacity for work to fall within that period of interruption of employment or would have satisfied those conditions had a claim for sickness benefit been made on the first or any subsequent day of incapacity for work falling within that period of entitlement.]

[F2(1A) Any day which, by virtue of paragraph (1), forms part of a period of interruption of employment shall be further treated, for the purposes of determining entitlement to invalidity pension under section 15 of the 1975 Act, as being a day on which the woman has been entitled to sickness benefit.]

[F2(1B) For the purposes of this regulation, “period of interruption of employment” has the same meaning as it has in the 1975 Act by virtue of section 17(1)(d) of that Act.]

[F2(1C) The reference to a maternity pay period in paragraph (1) is to a maternity pay period which commenced on or after 6th May 1990.]

(2) Where by virtue of paragraph (1) a woman is entitled to invalidity pension for any week (including part of a week), the total amount of invalidity pension (including any increase for a dependant) and invalidity allowance (invalidity benefit) payable to her for that week shall be reduced by an amount equivalent to any statutory maternity pay to which she is entitled in accordance with Part V of the 1986 Act for the same week, and only the balance, if any, of the invalidity benefit shall be payable to her.]