how easy is it to claim Maternity allowance?

[itsme123]

I may change jobs soon and know i wont be able to claim the normal Mat pay. I am not pregnant at the moment but Dh wants to ttc again.
I have worked pt for nearly a year
am i right in thinking that any new employer would not have to keep my job open?
tia (as always)
x

[saffymum]

Hi, I started a new job pregnant so I wasn't able to get normal mat pay through the company. I applied for Mat Allowance and got it without a problem. As long as you have been working you are entitled to it.You need to get your forms from the midwife proving you are pg MATB1 form I think and then download the forms from the DSS for applying. You definitely will get some money but is only £100 per week for a specific amount of time, I think 6 months. Good luck.

[itsme123]

thks Saffymum. £100 is defo better than nothing.

[knakered]

I got this this year...I had just started my own company so was expecting nothing...think it added up to nearly 3K...the paper work is a bit fiddly but there are websites to help...you can down lead all of the forms..good luck

[Jobalus]

It's £108.85 / week, about to go up another few quid in April. And it'll be for nine months if your baby is due after April.

If you are an employee and pregnanct your new employer would have to keep your job open - it'd be ordinary maternity leave which you're entitled to regardless of how long you've worked for your employer. You have a right to return.
(maternity leave is not the same as maternity pay - different rules apply to each).

[itsme123]

thanks all, i have just seen this has been bumped with more useful information.

x

[lou031205]

Hi,

Maternity allowance can be better than mat pay for some!

I have recently dropped from 30 hours/week to 5 hours per week. I therefore nolonger qualify for SMP, but do qualify for MA. But, I will be much better off, too.

With MA you can claim based on your highest 13 weeks of earnings in the last 66 weeks. So, for me, I can claim using payslips from earlier in the year, when I worked 30 hours per week.

I currently earn just over £50 per week (i'm a nurse), but will get around £250 (90%) for 6 weeks followed by £108.85 for 33 weeks.

SMP, if I qualified, would have given me £45 per week for 39 weeks.

I suppose what I am saying is that not qualifying for SMP isn't always a bad thing!!

Louise xx

[lou031205]

sorry - don't get the 90% for 6 weeks, but for me am still better off!!

[magicmummy]

SMP
If your expected week of childbirth begins on or after 1 April 2007 you can get SMP for up to 39 weeks, as long as you meet the conditions. If your expected week of childbirth is earlier than this then SMP is for up to 26 weeks.

If you have the right to receive SMP, you'll get it even if you decide to leave your job before you start receiving SMP. You don't have to repay it if you decide not to go back to work or leave your job whilst getting SMP.

If you are employed you can choose when you want your SMP to start, this will normally coincide with your Ordinary Maternity Leave. Unless your baby is born sooner, the earliest SMP can start is 11 weeks before the week your baby is due.

If you get SMP, your employer will pay you 90 per cent of your average weekly earnings for the first six weeks, then up to £108.85 a week for the remaining 33 weeks (or 20 weeks if your expected week of childbirth begins earlier than 1 April 2007). You pay tax and National Insurance in the same way as on your regular wages. Your employer reclaims the majority of SMP from their National Insurance contributions and other payments. To qualify for SMP you must pay tax and national insurance as an employee (or would pay if you earned enough).
have a look at this SMP factsheet


Maternity Allowance
If you can't get SMP from your employer, you might get Maternity Allowance (MA) if you:

• are employed
• are self-employed and pay Class 2 National Insurance contributions or
• have a Small Earnings Exception certificate
• are not employed but have worked close to or during your pregnancy

The conditions are that you:

• worked (either on an employed or self employed basis) for at least 26 of the 66 weeks before the week your baby was due (a part week counts as a full week).
• earned an average of £30 over any 13 of those 66 weeks

The standard rate of MA is £108.85 or 90 per cent of your average weekly earnings, whichever is less. If your expected week of childbirth begins on or after 1 April 2007, it is paid for up to 39 weeks. If your expected week of childbirth is earlier than this then it is paid for up to 26 weeks. MA is not liable to income tax or NI contributions.
have a look at this MA factsheet

[Catbabymummy]

For thos claiming SMP, how much are you losing to tax and ni?
I personally think it's outrageous that those getting SMP have to pay it and those on MA don't. Talk about putting women off from working!