Ministry Of Defence
class="gem-c-govspeak govuk-govspeak govuk-!-margin-bottom-0">
Ex-gratia payments are made by the MOD in lieu of DWP UK Maternity Allowance (MA) when a service person relocates overseas and their spouse/civil partner accompanies them, but MA cannot be paid to them in that country. This could be because:
- there is no reciprocal agreement with the host country
- the host country is outside the European Economic Area (EEA)
The ex-gratia payments are equivalent to the MA they would have received in the UK.
Eligibility
To qualify for MOD ex-gratia payments, the spouse/civil partner must have been eligible for UK MA if they remained in the UK. This means they:
- worked at least 26 weeks during the 66 weeks before the babys due date, known as the test period
- earned at least 30 per week for 13 of those weeks
How to apply
- Apply for MA through the DWP.
- Receive a decision notice from the DWP stating that you are not eligible.
- Provide the decision notice and supporting documents to your units HR.
- HR will escalate the case to the Armed Forces Families Team if necessary.
Exceptional circumstances
The MOD may consider ex-gratia payment in lieu of MA if the spouse/civil partner does not meet the criteria for UK MA. This is considered an exceptional circumstance, and could be because:
- the civil partner/spouse has not worked long enough during the test period
- the service person and their civil partner/spouse are posted to a country where diplomatic status must be given up, making it difficult for them to find work
Apply for MOD ex-gratia payments under exceptional circumstances
Follow the steps under How to apply and include the following in step 3:
- evidence of the difficulty in finding work
- proof of an active job search
- employment history prior to leaving the UK
Contact
- Armed Forces Families Policy Team: People-AFFS-FamiliesTeam@mod.gov.ukand your Unit HR.
- Armed Forces Families Support Hub (internal MOD access only)
Further information
- MOD ex-gratia payments in lieu of Maternity Allowance (internal MOD access only)
- Maternity benefits: detailed guide