To ask about maternity allowance

[coffeekittens]

Posting here for traffic. I’m not entitled to SMP through my employer but I’m not sure if I am entitled to maternity allowance. I’m using the calculator on the GOV website to work this out however there’s a question I’m struggling with ‘Did the mother earn (or will she have earned) a total of £390 or more in any 13 weeks of this job between 12 November 2017 and 16 February 2019?’ Does this mean £390 combined in the past 13 weeks or does it mean that I need to earn £390 per week for 13 weeks? As I only work part time earning between £120 and £200 per week.

I think it means in total so over any 13 week period. I could be wrong but that's how it reads to me :-)

It means £390 over the 13 weeks. You need to send in 13 payslips with the highest earnings in your test period. The thirteen weeks do not have to be consecutive. They are then added together and averaged out. Maternity Allowance is usually awarded at 90% of the averaged figure.

The 90% figure is capped at £145.18.

From.Gov site:

Maternity Allowance for 39 weeks

You might get Maternity Allowance for 39 weeks if one of the following applies:

• you’re employed, but you cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay
• you’re self-employed and pay Class 2National Insurance(includingvoluntary National Insurance)
• you’ve recently stopped working

In the 66 weeks before your baby’s due, you must also have been:

• employed or self-employed for at least 26 weeks
• earning (or classed as earning) £30 a week or more in at least 13 weeks - the weeks do not have to be together

You may still qualify if you’ve recently stopped working. It does not matter if you had different jobs or periods of unemployment.

Thanks everyone! Looks like I’m hopefully not up shit street once baby comes 🤞