SMP for childminders info needed!

[josben]

Hi, wondered if anyone could advise me, I've been childminding (part time) for the past 5 months, but am finishing tommorrow as I'm 29 weeks pregnant. Does anyone know what SMP I am entitled to claim for and how long it lasts etc...? Is there a minimum amount I will get? (I've been paying my NI evey week since I started.)

Hi
I've just had my last SMP payment. I got it for six months and it was something like £107 a week... not entirely sure as was paid monthly into my account. You can say how you want to be paid though.
You'll be fine to claim if you've made NI payments for a while... Cannot remember the exact time you needed to but I only started Jan 05 and went on maternity leave in Sept 05 and that was long enough!
I think I googled Maternity allowence to get all the info and download the claim forms.
Will try and find a link for you later, but dd now crying.

Thanks Jackmummy, thats a big help.

you need to have worked for a 26 week period within the last 3 years ... you need to have paid your NI contributions (£2 a week) .. you can pay it retrospectively

you will qualify for maternity allowance as a self-employed person

HTH

josben - I am 33 wks pregnant and haven't stopped work yet, but i have already applied for my maternity allowance. As a childminder we are Self Employed so we are not entitled to statutory Matrnity Pay, we are only entitled to Maternity Allowance, which is around £106.00 per week depending on certain criteria i believe.
If i were you i would go online to \link{http://www.dwp.gov.uk/advisers/claimforms/ma1.pdf#search='maternity%20allowance'\this} link which is pdf file, about half way through there is a form that you can fill in online. You then take the form to your local jobcentre. I received paperwork back from them the next week, and part of the paperwork i have to send off when i start maternity leave.
Very simple really, but it took me ages to find out what to do.
Hope this helps you, and good luck with your pregnancy, enjoy your maternity leave, i've got another 4 weeks left, very jealous of you

Thanks diddle, I think I've got to the bottom of this one now - can't wait to start getting the allowance - especially as its slightly more than I'm earning as a childminder!

How much time off are you planning to have after the birth of your baby? I've got 2 boys under 5 already so I'm planning on taking 5 or 6 months off... I've enjoyed childmnding and its a grest way of earning whilst being at home, but I've found the huge responsibilty of looking after someone else most precious son/daughter a big thing to get used to...