Maternity Allowance and Job Seekers Allowance - help!

[i.love]

I'm so confused! Could someone please help me with a couple of questions?

1. I printed out a form for MA. There are 3 points that I need to qualify in order to get MA (before I saw only 2), which are:

a) you have been employed for 26 weeks in the 66 weeks etc (yes, I have)
b) your average earnings are at least £30 a week (yep)
c) you have stopped work to have your baby (???)

Does point c mean that I can't claim maternity allowance if I will be made redundant (which is going to happen in June/July)? I thought I could!

I'm just thinking, if I must stop working to have my baby, maybe I should stop working now, before I'm made redundant?? I kinda need to decide this soon then!

And, if I stop working myself, I won't be able to claim Job Seeker's Allowance, right?

And this leads me to the question No 2:

2. Can I claim JSA while pregnant? I thought you can claim it if you are looking for a job. Well I will be for some time, but obviously I can't be working when I'm 9 months pregnant or when I just had my baby. Does anyone know if I can claim JSA while pg, and if yes, for how long?

I know that's many questions and a long post, sorry. I'll appreciate any help/advice!

 

[Sarah13]

Sorry I can't help but I was also wondering if I could claim jobseekers as I'm now offically not a student until next september, don't really want to get a job for a few weeks though and think nobody will take me on at 4 months pregnant anyway, difficult to know what to do

 

[Emerald rose]

I think you should ring the job centre as they will be able to give you advice specific to your situation.
I claimed jsa when i had my DS at 29 weeks they switched me to income support

 

[songbird]

Im not sure how the maternity allowance works but yes you can claim JSA while pregnant and like the pp said at 29 weeks they will move you on to Income Support.

When i was pregnant with my DD i left my job at 5 months pregnant (long story) and i claimed JSA the rules may have chnaged now as that was 9 years ago

 

[Sarah13]

I'll need to look into it, I can't imagine I'll get anything to be honest as my hubby is on a good wage, I'm more concerned about being 'out of the system' with stuff like national insurance.

 

[mummytobe21]

hiya i have been claiming job seekers allowence well i am pregnant i started claiming when i lost my job about 6 weeks pregnant and i am now 25weeks and still cliaming job seekers allowence they told me not to worry 2 much about finding a job coz its very uncommen that someone would set me on well im pregnant they said just keep looking and keep signing showing ur willing to work which i have been duin then they said when im 29weeks i will be put on income support hope this helps hun xx

 

[i.love]

thanks for the advice girls! I would of course call jobcentre, just they only have 0800 numbers, and we have mobile phones, but no landlines, so it's gonna be a very expensive call.

Interesting about them switching me onto income support... I probably will be over 20 weeks when I will start claiming JSA anyway. Will see

 

[Emerald rose]

Might be easier to pop down to the job centre they should be able to advise you there and if not they have phones you can use.

 

[tinks77]

If you call the 0800 number and explain about the mobile they should call you straight back