Maternity pay/allowance

[Urchin]

I'm confused, I don't think I'm entitled to either

How is that possible?

I've worked in my current job for 4 years, but since having Brody I only work 5 hours a week, so that's like £28 a week or something.
I don't think I work enough to get Maternity Pay through work, but i need to earn an average of £30 a week to get maternity allowance, so I can't get that either?

EEEK!

 

[Baileysmummy]

Im sure if you dont qualify through your emplyer.. the goverment will make it up through smp..

sorry i cant be much help

 

[enn]

yea i cant get mine through work not worked for national insurance so im getting mat allowance. i only work 15hrs a week if that helps ya.

i will only be getting money for 9months looks like left it too long while pregnant

all i can say is goto the website print it out fill it out send it off with required documents

 

[tuck]

I'm afraid that you wont be entitled to SMP or MA as you have to be earning an average amount to qualify:

Can I get it?
To get SMP you must have been:
Employed by your employer into the qualifying week which is the 15th week before the week your baby is due.
Employed by the same employer without a break for at least 26 weeks into the 15th week before the week your baby is due. Part weeks count as full weeks.
Earning before tax an average of £87.00 a week. This is called the Lower Earnings Limit for National Insurance Contributions (NI) and is the amount you have to earn to qualify for benefits. You have to earn more than this amount before you actually start paying NI.

Who can get Maternity Allowance

You can get Maternity Allowance if you have been working recently or you have stopped working to have a child. You must have been working for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before you are due to give birth. It does not matter if these weeks are split up, or if they are not all for the same employer. You can claim Maternity Allowance if you do not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay, as long as you have been earning at least £30 a week on average. This can be from employed work or self-employed work. Maternity Allowance does not depend on national insurance contributions.

 

[Urchin]

I'm afraid that you wont be entitled to SMP or MA as you have to be earning an average amount to qualify:

Can I get it?
To get SMP you must have been:
Employed by your employer into the qualifying week which is the 15th week before the week your baby is due.
Employed by the same employer without a break for at least 26 weeks into the 15th week before the week your baby is due. Part weeks count as full weeks.
Earning before tax an average of £87.00 a week. This is called the Lower Earnings Limit for National Insurance Contributions (NI) and is the amount you have to earn to qualify for benefits. You have to earn more than this amount before you actually start paying NI.

Who can get Maternity Allowance

You can get Maternity Allowance if you have been working recently or you have stopped working to have a child. You must have been working for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before you are due to give birth. It does not matter if these weeks are split up, or if they are not all for the same employer. You can claim Maternity Allowance if you do not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay, as long as you have been earning at least £30 a week on average. This can be from employed work or self-employed work. Maternity Allowance does not depend on national insurance contributions.

Yeah thats what I mean! I'm amazed!!! They encourage you to stay at home and look after your kids then do this!!!

I *think* I've found a way around it, I spoke to my boss today and for SMP the way they work out what you earn is from the 8 weeks before the 15th week before baby is born. This is about December time for me. I'm going to increase my hours to go over the NI limit so hopefully that should sort it.

 

[Hells]

If not, you might be entitled to Incapacity Benefit, you'd have to ask in the jobcentre.

 

[tuck]

incapacity benefit is only paid if your incapable of work due to ill health, (sorry I used to work for DWP (please dont all shoot me!))


Incapacity Benefit
What is it?
If you cannot work because of ill health or a disability, you may be able to claim Incapacity Benefit. This is a contributions-based benefit paid at a set rate. It gives people of working age a replacement income when they cannot work or look for work because of ill health or a disability.

 

[Moomum]

So, I think I qualify for Maternity Allowance. Do I need to see my employer about claiming/necessary documentation or do I bypass them and go straight to Jobcentre?

 

[tuck]

your employer should give you a form (If I remember I think it is called a SMP1) stating that you arent entitled to SMP and you then have to take/send this to the jobcentre and fill in the Maternity allowance claim form.

 

[Anna B]

Yeah thats what I mean! I'm amazed!!! They encourage you to stay at home and look after your kids then do this!!!

I *think* I've found a way around it, I spoke to my boss today and for SMP the way they work out what you earn is from the 8 weeks before the 15th week before baby is born. This is about December time for me. I'm going to increase my hours to go over the NI limit so hopefully that should sort it.

Thats what I had planned to do, and I checked with citizens advice and its totally fine to do, go for it!

 

[Urchin]

Yeah thats what I mean! I'm amazed!!! They encourage you to stay at home and look after your kids then do this!!!

I *think* I've found a way around it, I spoke to my boss today and for SMP the way they work out what you earn is from the 8 weeks before the 15th week before baby is born. This is about December time for me. I'm going to increase my hours to go over the NI limit so hopefully that should sort it.

Thats what I had planned to do, and I checked with citizens advice and its totally fine to do, go for it!

oh brilliant thanks for letting me know its Ok to do it, I was going to have to check and re-check it

 

[Urchin]

Right, I have looked again at MA and as long as I have earned an average of £30 a week for 13 of the 66 weeks before baby is born I can get it.

The key is you can CHOOSE the weeks, I know I have gone over £30 for a good few weeks already, so as long as I make sure I go over this a few more times before baby is born, I should qualify?

Does anyone know more about this? Please?

Is MA loads less that SMP?


Cheers girls

 

[OopsyDaisy]

I'm getting £112.75 MA per week for 39 weeks

 

[valentine]

Maternity Allowance and SMP are both £112.75 a week at the moment hun.

This is a brilliant website which tells you everything you need to know.

Love

Valentine xxx

 

[Hells]

Very helpful site, nice to see one in plain english. It does also say that if you aren't entitled to SMP or MA, you may qualify for Incapacity Benefit if you've made enough NI contributions in the last three years. I'll have to find out if I've made enough to get it myself.