Help please!

[DramaMcLama]

Hiya all. I know there are some knowledgeable people hanging around this bit of MN so hoped you could help.

My dh and I recently decided to ttc #2. . However this plan is currently on hold (presuming im not already but I don't think so.) by receiving my four weeks notice a few days ago.

We've discussed this and decided our best plan is to find a new nanny job, with minimal hours (a few mornings/2days perhaps) -as apposed to the varying 35-65hr weeks I've been working over 2013- and continue ttc quickly after starting. We don't want to delay adding to our family but id like to qualify for maternity pay, whether that be by employer or meeting requirements for stat.

could you all answer some questions for me?

how long do I need to be employed for before conception for them to be responsible for my maternity?

if I find a job covering someone else's mat leave /temporary contracts does this affect the employers responsibility to my maternity ?

if the employer isn't, what is the requirements to qualify for statuary mat?

do I need to know/consider anything else?

I personally feel uncomfortable finding a new family soley for this purpose but after being let go by my last family am realising its every man for themselves :( - we out off ttc for 8 months because I wanted it to coincide with charge reaching a certain age and going to preschool to make it easier for parents, don't know why I did now. chalking it up to experience. I don't want a gap in my cv and I don't want to be unemployment during pregnancy either. I like to work and I love nannying. (searching for minimal hours now only so I can contribute more to home life practically while dh work gets busier next year, spend more time with dd and in anticipation of horrible sickness as suffered with 1st dc)

thanks in advance

oh gosh, apologies for typos..

1 week before conception according to this chart Maternity Factsheet (nannytax)

Maternity Allowance is the what you would get if you did not qualify for SMP.

I thought it worked out a week or two

Basically you need to have worked for your employer for at least 26weeks by the time you are 15weeks from due date / ie 25 weeks preg

Thus leaving a week

Right, so I find a job for January, and with any luck fall IfeFebruary or early March ill be ok? - what happens if im made redundant during pregnancy but before I've been with them for 26 week? (paranoid)

then you wont get smp but will get mat allowance - basic diff is smp you get 90% of pay for 6 weeks then £135ish

where as mat allowance would just be the £135 each week

hope thats right info

Right I seeee....I thought maternity allowance was from employment and smp not.. my mistake. Ok.... im worried about not finding another job before falling preg and not qualifying for anything at all.

if I registered self employed and took on a little baby sitting worse case scenario would I qualify for MA? do I need to work x amount of hours or earn x amount?

Thank you for all your responses. I find the online info a bit confusing!

Self employed people (who keep accounts and pay tax properly) get smp. If you are comparing 90% of the wage of a two days a week job with £135 pw does it matter?

Victoria ...I understand it to be that if I don't get a new job now, and fall pregnant in a few months and am still unemployed, and thus unemployed during pregnancy I will not qualify for anything at all.

I only ask about self employment on the basis that if I don't find a family to employ me, it might qualify me for smp?

I know £130odd isn't much but after working every hour under the sun and paying sooo much tax for years the idea of having nothing MA/SMP feels a bit unfair.

I'm self employed and got maternity allowance you need to have paid class 2 national insurance for so many weeks in the test period before your claim, if you registered as self employed and paid the contributions (about £12 a month) and got a few babysitting jobs I don't see why you wouldn't qualify but I'm no accountant!

twinkle star ill ask my account friend! Thank you!

I'm sure I read somewhere that if you have been paying ni for past 2 years or so and think if you can prove you have earnt over a certain amount a week you can claim. Something like 26 weeks in the past 2 years - you can pick and chose your best/ well paid weeks if self employed

So your years of paying ni will cover you for mat allowance but not smp unless start a job and then fall preg and then leave job before 25th week of preg

Hope someone can clarify this. Don't want to give false info

read this

Hope linked right / never easy when middle of night tired and on phone

That link is really clear thank you blondes

Welcome :)