Military wife - pregnant - advice please

[Gemma2501]

Hi,

Hopefully quick summary, I am 20 weeks pregnant and we were relocated due to husband being military, I was pregnant before we were told we were moving and I was a teacher, we moved Easter weekend and I have not got a new teaching job for the summer term.

I am due in September but hoping to get some guidance to what I could be entitled to.

I have always worked since I was 14.

Thanks!

Have you looked on the gov website?

Off the top of my head, I think you have to be working 26 weeks from a certain date in your pregnancy to qualify for statutory mat pay or maternity allowance.

Can you do supply in your local area to top up the weeks?

Nope, can’t get enough time in to qualify for SMP.
Have looked at gov website but I don’t think I can give enough specific info for it to actually help.

As you are not in work, you won't get any form of maternity pay.

You will be able to claim Child Benefit, and if your DH is junior then you might be able to claim tax credits too

I'm confused. Why can't you get enough time in if you're 20 weeks pregnant?

I'm confused. Why can't you get enough time in if you're 20 weeks pregnant?

Because you have to have been employed for 26 weeks by the time you get to 25 weeks pregnant to be eligible.

That makes sense! Thank you.

Maternity Allowance I think. It's for people who are not eligible for SMP.

www.gov.uk/maternity-allowance/eligibility

You should be able to claim maternity allowance instead of SMP.

I think you may be able to claim maternity allowance - you have to have worked a certain number of weeks over a certain time frame

So I was right-ish. You can do supply to top up however many weeks needed.

This happened to me with my first. Wasn't eligible for SMP but was for Mat allowance

Bad timing as it means I’ve missed out on literally thousands in maternity pay!

Is Mat Allowance through the job centre as it’s a benefit?

PP have given you a link. Why don't you check

Sorry thought that was only to check if eligible, didn’t see the how to claim bit on a first check!

You might be able to claim MA, if you count as 'recently stopped working'

I don't know how 'recently' is defined for this purpose.
The earliest you can claim MA is 26 weeks, and you stopped working about 4 weeks ago. So it'll hinge on whether 10 weeks is recent. Claim and find out?

As you were continuous employed until 4 weeks ago, it sounds as if you meet the criteria for number of worked weeks over 66 week qualifying period.

You will almost certainly be able to claim MA. It’s quite easy to apply. I was in a very similar position and it’s not much worse than SMP (just missing the 90% bit at the start), but obviously a lot worse than burgundy book!

Yep, teaching maternity pay would have been a joy but Sod’s law says otherwise! I have definitely worked enough weeks in the previous 66 so will get applying in the morning.

@mpsw I am also fortunate that my contract didn’t finish until the end of the easter holidays so only 2 weeks unemployment at this point on paper