From 1 April 2026, a scanned or photocopied maternity certificate will be enough to support Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) or Maternity Allowance (MA) claims in Northern Ireland. The Department for Communities has signed off a short rule change that scraps the old wet‑ink expectation and cuts everyday paperwork for small firms.

According to the statutory rule published on legislation.gov.uk and sealed on 9 March 2026, the Department has deleted the words “shall be completed in ink or other indelible substance” from two long‑standing sets of regulations. In plain terms, non‑original copies can now be accepted as evidence for both SMP and MA, bringing practice in line with how people actually share documents in 2026.

For payroll teams and owner‑managed businesses across Belfast, Derry~Londonderry and beyond, this is a tidy fix at a busy moment. Employers paying SMP will be able to process claims using a clear copy of the maternity certificate rather than insisting on the original. For those applying for Maternity Allowance, the same flexibility applies when providing evidence to Jobs and Benefits offices.

The Assembly’s Committee for Communities considered the proposal on 5 March and ran a short call for views closing on 11 March 2026, after the Department asked to move at pace on the technical change. That timeline underlines how limited the change is-narrow, practical and targeted. (consult.nia-yourassembly.org.uk)

What is and isn’t changing matters. Doctors and midwives will still issue the usual maternity certificate (commonly known as the MATB1) and the eligibility rules for SMP and Maternity Allowance remain the same. This update only affects how the certificate may be presented: originals remain fine, but a legible copy is no longer second‑class.

Legally, the amendments touch two places. They remove the ink‑only line from paragraph 4 of Part 1 in Schedule 2 to the Social Security (Medical Evidence) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1976, and from paragraph 4 of Part 1 in the Schedule to the Statutory Maternity Pay (Medical Evidence) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987. Dropping that specific wording is what opens the door to non‑original evidence.

The Department describes it as a “minor adjustment” in its explanatory note, and says a full impact assessment was not produced because no significant costs are expected across the private, voluntary or public sectors. For many SMEs without in‑house HR, the practical gain is fewer delays when a certificate goes missing in the post, or when a worker is on agency or shift patterns.

There is parallel movement elsewhere. In Great Britain, ministers laid a UK‑wide instrument on 3 March 2026 that also deals with evidence of pregnancy and small employer compensation, signalling a broader push to simplify maternity‑related paperwork. Northern Ireland’s move keeps its system sensibly aligned while reflecting devolved responsibilities. (statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk)

What employers should do now is straightforward: refresh SMP checklists and internal guidance before 1 April, brief payroll and HR teams not to reject photocopies or clear digital scans, and keep secure records as usual. Prospective parents should retain a good‑quality copy of their certificate and check current advice on nidirect or with their local Jobs and Benefits office if unsure.