Incapacity benefit not maternity allowance

[lulu]

Is any body else getting Incapacity benefit rather than maternity allowance?

Basically I lost my job in April, applied for maternity allowance but was told that I hadn't paid enough national insurance, so I get Incapacity benefit instead.

This is paid up to 2 weeks after the baby is born. I called them the other day to ask if that was two weeks from my due date or 2 weeks from the actual date of delivery. They said 2 weeks from the date of delivery (Im 10 days overdue now) they reassured me that I would still get a payment untill then.

Yesterday I got a letter to say my sick notes run out today and I need to get another one from the doctor. Tried talking to the surgery and they are completely confused with the whole thing. Its bad enough anyway having to get a sick note to say I cant work after only 2 weeks of giving birth but the doctor said I need to self certify???? The benefits people say it has to be a doctors note???

Anyone on the same benefit? experiencing or have experienced this? any advice?

Im worried about it and obviously don't want extra worry when Im about to give birth any day.

 

Were you working before you were signed off sick??

If you havent paid NI contributions, you can't get Incapacity Benefit - so I don't know why they are telling you that you can't have MA!

 

[Urchin]

I don't know if the rules have changed, I really hope they have:

When I got back from living in Thailand I was 5 months pregnant. I'd worked full time for years before I left and was away for a year.
Because I'd been away and not paid any NI I wasn't entitled to a THING.

This was 4/5 years ago so hopfully they've sorted it now. If I'd come in as an asylum seeker or something I would have got loads of help.

 

If I'd come in as an asylum seeker or something I would have got loads of help.

Agree......


If you have worked 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before your baby is due then you can get MA. Employment for part of a week counts as a whole week.

Your baby was due 21 Novemeber wasn't it? So your test period (which you had to have worked 26 weeks within) is 15 Aug 04 - 19 Nov 05. When did you start employment with your company? As long as it was before October 2004 (depending on when in April you left our job) then you should be able to claim MA.

NI contributions has nout to do with MA, it's how many weeks you worked prior to the date you're due to start MA. What they said doesn't sound right to me unless I'm reading what you said wrong or you weren't employed long enough before April or since then?