To be cross with the Jobcentre re. Maternity Allowance?

[moobaloo]

Once I'd learned I'd been approved for maternity allowance I sent the correct form, the very day I'd finished work (as required) with the correct date for payments to start on it (the first day after I was absent from work, as I left work in the last four weeks of my pregnancy). I knew that this was paid in arrears, so expected payments to start two weeks later, as explained in the information given to me.

So why have I still received nothing nearly four weeks later? I rang them today and they were very nice, yes they've got my form, it's being processed, it should have been processed by the 16th May but they've got quite a backlog at the moment so it hasn't been done yet. They can move me up the list if I'm considered high priority, but I have a partner who works so I'm not.

It's not their fault. They're understaffed. I know I'm lucky to have a working partner. I know I'm lucky to be receiving this benefit as I thought I'd get nothing (had not worked for my employer long enough when I fell pregnant to receive SMP and didn't know anything about MA. Luckily I'd paid lots of NI with my previous employer so was entitled to it). I know I will receive it when they get round to it.

But I'm here days overdue and I really thought I'd have got something by now and wouldn't still be asking my partner for money for phone top up!!! I don't want to be stressing about an empty bank account when I have a newborn

I had savings but most of them have gone on baby necessities and bills as I've only been given part time work since January so have been on a massively reduced income to what I was on before when I could save.

Dp is self employed and some weeks are good and others bad. He is happy to support me but I liked having my own money and sharing bills.

Rant over. Feel free to ignore, just had to get it out!

(Wish I could get this baby out so easily )

I think that the job centre assume that as you have a partner and you are going to have a baby together you are now a family and should share money, especially if you are not working because you are about to give birth to his and your child. I agree with them really.

Also, you can apply for maternity allowance from 26 weeks, so hey assume that people will do so in good time - I know you weren't aware that you qualified, but presumably you had a plan in place for if you had no income a all so perhaps you just need do whatever you'd planned until the paymments comes through. Good luck with your baby!

Mine was delayed as I didn't actually qualify for MA until I reached 36 weeks and they said I couldn't send the form in before that. I think I got it about a month later than I wanted it to start. So two months after I sent the form.

At the time, I thought that it would be a nightmare if that was the only money I could rely on and, like you, I felt fortunate that I had savings and a husband to support me. However if you feel bad about asking for money then it might be worth having a discussion about how your joint finances are going to work.

I won't call a heavily pregnant woman unreasonable

I applied at 26 weeks. They approved me and said as I didn't have a date of finishing work at that time and was planning to work until after 36 weeks pregnant I would have to send them another form when I finished, which I did. Immediately. I assumed the system would understand this.

I should have chosen a date to leave work sooner, which I then could have given them with the first form at 26 weeks, but i agreed to stay a few extra weeks to help my boss out, this put me into 'four weeks before your due date' territory which is why I couldn't send the second form until the day I finished.

I know it's my fault. I learnt about MA quite early on in my pregnancy as I didn't want to be left with no money and assumed then it would take over when my wages stopped with no more than a couple of weeks gap so I didn't have a plan for having no income.

My partner and I do share his income BUT we always have had separate money and then combine for bills etc.

I suppose I'm just irritated it's taking a long time to sort out when it was supposed to be dealt with by the 16th. When you're expecting something to be straightforward and it's not frustrates me, iyswim?

Nb: dp very good with sharing money, it's MY issue that I don't like asking, even though he has never said 'no' (except when I wanted a goat on a whim )

May i ask How come you are entitled to any benefits to begin with? Not being rude just confused.

I tried to get all sorts of help financially whilst I pregnant and was always told I'm not entitled because my partner works.

Gotno - everyone is entitled to SMP or MA.

I am entitled to MA because I worked and paid NI over a certain amount for enough of the previous year and a half. My employer wasn't going to give me any SMP as I had not worked there long enough. MA replaces SMP if you are not entitled to SMP but not everyone is entitled to MA either. The details are here

www.gov.uk/maternity-allowance/overview

Hmm - think they may have steered you wrong there. When I applied, you could specify a date at which you wanted the payments to begin (up to 11 weeks before your EDD IIRC), or just use your EDD (which I believe was the latest date you could have for payments to start). I worked until I was 39 weeks, and my son was actually born on his due date, so it worked well for me, but you should have been made aware that this was an option, rather than having to apply later in your pregnancy.

Either way, you can console yourself with the fact that you will get a double payment at some point presumably, and hopefully you will have had your baby by then so will be able to spend it on all the things that you suddenly discover you need once it's born! (For me this was a nursing pillow and breastmilk storage bags - glamorous huh?!)

Gotnotimeforthat
Maternity Allowance is for people who are self employed or don't qualify for SMP for some reason. You have to have worked during the qualifying period which is 66 weeks before your EDD. The eligibility criteria are here, so if you did qualify but were given incorrect advice, you might wish to pursue whoever old you you didn't!

*told. Stupid sticky T key!

Well if you were told you had to send your form in again then that really is poor of them.

Not implying that your partner is the problem when it comes to sharing money, I can totally understand the reason why anyone would be reluctant to ask (It's just not british!). Before I went on maternity we had a conversation about how much I needed on top of MA (it's not a lot really) an DH sends me that each month. So just one conversation over and done with rather than having to talk about money constantly, iyswim.

I was repeatedly told by the job centre that it didn't exit despite me having the forms in my hand. They also managed to lose information.

Though like DoJo I applied early but then got the money at date I specified when I stopped the job I had - 39 weeks as I assumed I wouldn't work beyond that.

I switched job in pg as first was a contact that ended and wasn’t renewed then I could only find agency work – but I got the weeks to qualify for this.

I got all the money eventually – I would suggest chasing again - or at least periodically.