Pregnant AE in France - anyone know about maternity pay?

[googietheegg]

I've also posted this in chat but no joy, so I do hope someone here can help...

I'm 5 months pregnant and an auto entrepreneur in France. I've done all the RSI/CAF paperwork for the declaration de grossesse and have had letters back from both so I know I'm in the system.

But how do I make sure I actually receive the maternity pay itself? There's plenty of advice about how much you're entitled to, but is there something I should be doing to get this? Another form to ask for/fill in or something?

I had a blue booklet through from RSI and I took it to the last gyne apt and she said that no one used them anymore as it's all done electronically through the carte vitale. So does that automatically trigger the maternity payments? How do I know when to actually stop work and start back again if that's the case? And what about paternity leave?

Can anyone help a hormonal woman?!

I can't help personally but try www.frenchmamma.com; I remember reading something about it on there. Congratulations!

www.frenchmamma.com

Congratulations!

Sorry can't help either as I wasn't entitled to any maternity leave, but try asking on TotalFrance forum.

Thanks for the links. I've had a good look and still can't see what I need to actually fill in/do to get the maternity pay, only that I'm probably entitled.

Has anyone else been through this?

I believe that maternity leave for the first child in France is 16 weeks but I am not sure how this is paid out.

There are some links on here that might have some more answers for you:
riviera.angloinfo.com/countries/france/birth.asp

Some more info on the how the level of maternity pay is calculated and many of the same links here:

www.frenchentree.com/france-family-life/displayarticle.asp?id=40336

And here's paternity leave:
All new fathers have the right to paternity leave of 11 days (18 days for twins or more!) Leave must be taken on consecutive days within four months of the birth. The employer must be informed at least one month in advance. This can be combined with the three days of leave given for the birth of a child.

from here: www.justlanded.com/english/France/France-Guide/Jobs/Working

Thank you boo much appreciated! My real question is how do I make sure I get these payments though.

I have my carnet de maternite but I don't know what/when/where I have to send forms off as I'm an AE rather than an employee.

I'm hoping there's someone here who's an auto entrepreneur and has had a baby whose brain I can pick?!? (the mum not the baby!)

Have you tried your local Caisse d'assurance maladie?

Is that CPAM boo? If so, that's for employed not self employed as far as I know, although I might be wrong.

Yes, Caisse Primaire d'assurance maladie. You will be either with CPAM or with RSI

www.rsi.fr//change-user/sante/naissance-et-adoption/allocations-maternite.html

depending on how long you have paid cotisations as an auto entrepreneur.

Hi googie,

I'm not self-employed, so don't want to put my head on a block here, but when you declared your pregnancy, did the RSI form ask for your bank details? If so, the money will go straight there.

You will have to send them an "acte de naissance" straight after the birth and the payments will follow. That's how it works with the CPAM and employers, anyway, so I would think the RSI is the same.

Remember you only have three days after the birth to declare it and get a birth certificate - better have the names ready (and written down so no mistakes are made!), they don't give you much time to think about it!

Most hospitals have an in-house prefecture for declaring the birth which makes it a tad easier though.

bunny and boo, thank you both. I'm not sure about the bank details on the form, so I'll have a look back at my copy and see. I think it may be that the forms in the carnet de maternite that relate to medical stuff no longer need to be sent off as the carte vitale 'knows' but for RSI stuff I still need to send it. Does that sound right?
Anyone else an AE who's recently had a baby and got maternity pay? There's loads on the internet about employed people but AE information is really lacking.