To think the Maternity Allowance system is crap!

[RhymingRabbit3]

I've been on hold for 45 minutes trying to sort out my maternity allowance payments- I'm self employed.

You can't apply for MA until you are 26 weeks pregnant. It takes 6 weeks for them to get back to you. Then you wait 2 weeks for a letter from HMRC to pay national insurance. They then contact DWP and it's a further 5 weeks until you find out whether you will get the full amount. So that makes you 39 weeks.

Apparently you can claim MA from 11 weeks before birth. But it's impossible! I'm finishing work next week and at the moment will only be eligible for £27 a week, which I wont actually get until the end of March.

AIBU to think it shouldnt be this complicated!?

It takes 6 weeks for them to get back to you. Then you wait 2 weeks for a letter from HMRC to pay national insurance. They then contact DWP and it's a further 5 weeks until you find out whether you will get the full amount. So that makes you 39 weeks.

That's not standard. Mine was processed within 2 weeks. I had been paying my NI though, maybe that's the problem, had you not been contributing?

Also, why £27 a week? Did you not pay any NI at all?

Yanbu I'm still going through it 2 months later don't know when it will be sorted phoned so many times nightmare !!!.

I paid national insurance contributions for the year 18-19 which should have been enough. I havent paid them for 19-20 as will do that in my self assessment at the end of the year. My baby is due in March I wont have done the 19-20 self assessment yet but apparently you can pay NI early in order to qualify - that's what I was waiting 2 weeks for HMRC to contact me about.

YANBU it is wank

I spoke to HMRC this morning (for the 3rd time!) And apparently I have paid enough NI but it's not registering for some reason.

It needs an overhaul, it's not great to be so stressed about money when you're pregnant/ have a newborn.

A problem I didnt have 40 years ago

I found it very frustrating becuase the unemployment office and phone lines kept trying to tell me no such benefit existed.

I can't remember how long it took to come through as I was employed for first few months and then few weeks no work then I got temp work right up to due date - so wa probably after birth though I started papper work in pg and had loads of phone calls and trips down to offices before and after birth was right pain.

Hardly relevant NoMore

@NoMorePoliticsPlease good for you thanks for the helpful input

Yanbu, the system is shite!

It never used to be, the massive delays have come about quite recently. That's why OP is having a different experience even to those who claimed in the recent past.