AIBU to be completely bemused by benefits?

[PurplePidjin]

I was made redundant at the end of Jan, signed on then in March discovered I'm pg - lovely but unexpected! Since then I've been dipping in and out of Contribution based jobseekers, picking up temp work when i can.

I'm in the fortunate position of not being able to afford to work. We can get by on dp's wage (not enormous, but I'm good at budgetting), and my pay as a child care worker wouldn't cover nursery fees - not to mention the irony :o

Anyhow, my jobseekers stops 11 weeks before my due date because I'm not expected to be actively looking. Tax credits etc kick in at birth. Am i entitled to claim anything for those 11 weeks, or do i just suck it up?

Aibu to be completely baffled by the whole thing? And where the fuck is all the info about this? Direct.gov is a headache-inducing maze, the jsa advisor hasn't a clue (they only deal with jsa, not other types of benefit) and all the books/mags/emails i read only deal with Maternity Pay!

PS, yes, i am eternally grateful to live in a society in which i have these luxuries, and have been paying tax for nearly 15 years before the bashers start in on me

Have you looked into getting Maternity Allowance?

Possibly Maternity Allowance? Ask at the JC.

If you've been paying taxes then your entitled to it! YANBU, I think they make it deliberately confusing in the hope that people will get put off and won't bother. Maybe the CAB could help you though.

Income support I think. You can't claim JSA as you're no longer available for work, so are not looking. The CAB will do a benefit check for you if you ask them.

Op people are crying out for child minders, perhaps that could be a route for you.

But just go into the job centre as that is there job to advice on this matter.

If her Dh is working, she won't qualify for IS.

You should be able to claim maternity allowance x

Ring the ni people as they desk with maternity allowances. Do it tomorrow as you may be able to back pay any shortfall in ni while you have been out of work (equals 2.65 per week so maybe manageable) then you would qualify for full ma at 130 ish per week. Silly system but they are the ones in the know and will do what they can to get you as much as possible. As it was only recently in ni terms, your previous ni payments maybe enough anyway. There is a cut off though so asap.

Ah, thanks Welsh

You could give up the JSA and claim Employment support allowance instead, you'll get that for a minimum 13 weeks while they assess your ability to work

Not sure if this is any help to you, but I found it useful to help with what I will get in relation to maternity leave/pay etc.

Money Advice Service

I think you can only get maternity allowance if you have been on jsa/is for 26 consecutive weeks, and had worked for a certain time before that, but do double check.

If i didn't live in a flat i'd childmind, I've got 7 years experience working with people with SN, plus relevant qualifications.

I qualify for SMP through my pt job - but 3 hours a week in term time doesn't go very far it's more a hobby i get paid for iyswim.

IS not an option as dp works ft. As i said, we can cope on his income if necessary, but would be nice not to fret about the price of every pack of baby grows. Thankfully my mum has treated my to some maternity wear, and i have exceptionally generous friends with complete families.

Jobcentre advisors can only advise me on jobseekers allowance. I have to find out the rest for myself, which is why I'm asking here - the government website won't give me a straight answer!

This might help? Although maybe just as confusing as the other sites!

Basically, if you've worked for 26 out of the last 66 weeks and can't get SMP you can claim MA. Tbh I'd just apply, and see what they say, if they no then claim ESA. You need to ring Jobcentre plus for a claim pack, 0800 0556688.

Try Citizens Advice's www.adviceguide.org.uk - fairly straightforward advice about, well, almost anything. You can find details of your nearest bureaux there too, if you'd rather see someone.

Before i forget, to everyone for replying!

Pmgkt, excellent tip, thank you!

The impression the one person in the office with a braincell helpful jsa lady gave me when i signed on most recently was that i would only get MA if i hadn't worked long enough for SMP. I'll get SMP through my youth work, but only £100 a month (current wages) and i love it too much to quit! I should only need 6 weeks leave tbh, although I'm saving my holiday just in case :o

I hate having to claim jsa as it is - esa might be a step to far. I'm coping at the moment by occupying myself with some serious nesting to make up for not going out to work

Oops, lots of x posts

Off to read links now, back shortly :)

"How much is Maternity Allowance

The amount of Maternity Allowance you get is either 90 per cent of your average weekly earnings or £135.45 a week, whichever is less."

This is why i think claiming would be a bit pointless - i earn less than that Gross per month. Plus, my job effectively involves sitting round drinking tea and chatting to people for an evening. Can i claim MA if I'm still going to work?

If you have paid ni for the qualifying period then you would get the full 134 pw, as if you pay it you are deemed to have earned over that ammount. If you read the hmrc site, there is a page or 10 on how to prove your income then at the end it says the above. Also I think it is on the how to claim page about evidence, it says if you have paid ni class 2 you do not need to prove income.

Ok, so my pay slip shows the deductions as Income Tax and pension. No mention of NI. Does that mean i don't pay it from that job? And what is NI Class 2, please?

It sounds like you don't, you don't need to if you earn less than 5k something. As I say ring the ni office and they will tell you what ni you have paid, someone mentioned the qualifying period earlier and you said you were qualifying for contribution jsa so you have paid some somewhere. When I asked a similar question a few weeks back someone had rung the ni office for themselves and just paid what they were short by in terms of ni payments then got full payment for the full 39 weeks but I can't remember the cut off.

I shall ring in the morning as you suggested :)

Do you know if i can claim MA and keep working? I like my job, it's stress free and lots of fun!

I think it might be more hassle than it's worth, though, and i just have to suck up the gap between week 29 and week 40

You can still do 10 kit days just like with any job spread over the 39 weeks. I think you will be better off not working if you qualify for full ma and yes as you original post asked the benefits system is very confusing!

Except I'd choose the job over maternity pay, I'd miss the kids too much if i wasn't there for 6 whole months

It really is a hobby, and we want dp to have the time alone with his ds without me interfering. At the mo jsa tops up my income, i think i just have to accept that that's going to change, at least until full tax credits and child benefit kick in