Maternity Allowance

[Rosieroo]

Do any of you ladies just get MA? I applied a couple of weeks ago and know payments start when you are 29 weeks. Is there a specific day it gets paid on and did you get any confirmation of when your payments would commence? I don't want to leave it til 29 weeks if it turns out they've lost the forms or something.

Thanks in advance

 

[stephlw25]

Hiya, i currently get MA. after you have applied they will send you confirmation of what you are entitled to and when you want payments to start. it can take up to 4 weeks for them to reply back. once they reply back to you there will be a form for you to sign and state when you want payments to start. i am being paid £59 a week for 16 weeks ( so not great!!!) and payments are made every friday but i think you can have it pais monthly if you prefer!

Hope this helps!!!!

steph x

 

[Layla]

what is it?

what do you need to do/have to get it?

 

[stephlw25]

you get MA when you are not entitled to Maternity pay from your employer, so either you havent worked there long enough or dont work enough hours to qualify.

 

[Rosieroo]

Thanks Steph. Guess I just have to wait for them to respond. Want it to start as soon as possible as have been without wages for a while Luckily I earnt enough during my test period to get the full £106 a week (from what I worked out anyway!).

 

[Lou]

Hi girls

I packed in work before last christmas, long before I fell pg so does anyone know if I would be entitled to any maternity benefits?

Cheers

Lou

 

[Rosieroo]

Hi Lou
Just checked the form for you and it says you have to have worked for 26 weeks out of the 66 weeks before you are due. So not sure if you would be entitled or not?

 

[Lou]

Hi

Thanks for checking for me. Appreciate it

Unfortunately I gave up work at christmas and didnt fall pg until March so I doubt I am entitled to any allowance. My work was so crap and stressful I resigned so I could get pg. Didn't take me long after the stress had gone

Not to worry. My bf is loaded lol

Lou

 

[Rosieroo]

@ bf

Wish we were loaded! We'd definately have a lot more income if it wasn't for our mortgage!! DH has got the week off of work this week so we went into the tax office to find out about tax credits. The man made us feel so skanky about asking! What's he paid to do?!?!

 

[Rosieroo]

They've lost my forms

Somewhere between my local office and the main office in Plymouth they have gone astray.

Typical! I have to wait 'a couple of days' for a phonecall to confirm they can't find them then they will tell me what to do. Wonder if it will mean sending the forms off again!!

 

[Lou]

I know what you mean about mortages. Ours has just been re-newed after the initial 2 years at a fixed rate and the payments have jumped up by an extra £100 a month. We have fixed it now for 5 years so god knows what the payments will be then. Best not to think about it....*whistles* lol

As for benefits I also know what you mean about the workers making you feel like crap. They assume everyone is a benefit cheat and a scumbag. My sister has a disabled son and has recently had to spend 3 weeks in hospital with him. She works full time so rang ACAS for advice about her entitlements and the man she spoke to was really rude and didn't understand that she had to be at the hospital and not at work as her son is special needs and the staff to patient ratio at the hospital meant he couldnt have one on one care that he required.

Why do some people do certain jobs that require compassion and communications skills when they so obviously couldn't give a toss?

ooo it makes me so mad!

Lou

 

[Rosieroo]

They've definately lost the form and my MATB1, so now I have to go and get another one and resend the form,

 

benfits offices are good at doing that - they lose my sick notes EVERY month without fail and then stop my payments for two weeks - which incurs me bank charges, etc, - then I have a rant and they still dont pay me the money back

My advice - take the forms to then yourself if at all possible and get a receipt.

xxx

 

[Rosieroo]

It's so annoying. I can't send the forms off again til I have my new MATB1, which I have to see my midwife to get. So I have to take up one of her appointment slots on Wednesday just to get it.