Section 21 Maternity grant
A woman shall be entitled to a maternity grant of the amount specified in relation thereto in Schedule 4, Part II, paragraph 1, if she has been confined and either—
she or her husband satisfies the contribution conditions for a maternity grant specified in Schedule 3, Part I, paragraph 2; or
she satisfies either—
the contribution conditions for a maternity allowance specified in Schedule 3, Part I, paragraph 3, or
any contribution conditions which she is required to satisfy in order to become entitled to maternity allowance at a reduced rate by virtue of regulations under section 33 of this Act (partial satisfaction of contribution conditions).
In subsection (1)(a) above, the reference to a woman's husband includes a widow's late husband in a case where she has been confined of a posthumous son or daughter of his.
Except where regulations otherwise provide, a woman shall not be entitled to a maternity grant in respect of a confinement if on the date of the confinement she was outside Great Britain.
Regulations may provide that a woman confined of twins or a greater number of children shall, if the other conditions for the payment of a maternity grant are satisfied in respect of the confinement, be entitled to a maternity grant for each of them.
Regulations may provide that the provisions of this section shall apply to a woman, in a case where her claim indicates that she so desires, with the substitution for the condition that she has been confined of the condition that she is pregnant and has reached a stage in her pregnancy which is not more than the prescribed number of weeks before that in which it is to be expected that she will be confined, and may modify the contribution conditions for a maternity grant in their application to such a case.
Subject to subsection (4) above, a woman shall not be entitled to more than one maternity grant in respect of any one confinement.