Going to miss out on maternity pay?

[PurplePuffinPicker]

I got offered a job weeks ago, just as I found out I was pregnant. I haven't told my new employer of my pregnancy yet, I was going to get in and make a good impression first. However, my DBS is taking forever. I've contacted the DBS service and they say there's nothing they can do to hurry it up. They also say I can't claim that losing out on maternity pay is financial hardship.

I'm probably going to be able to work only 24 weeks before I have the baby now - thats if I work until it comes, and it doesn't come early.

Is there any way I can still get maternity pay/allowance? I have no other qualifying weeks to count. New job said I cannot start at all until DBS comes through.

Sadly, no. You need 26 weeks of employment or self-employment in the 66 weeks before the baby is due. Could you get a temporary job to tide you over?

Can you temporarily register as self employed and pay class 2 voluntarily for a few weeks? You could try and pick up a bit of cleaning so you are self-employed maybe?

Socks Rock, I had considered that but didn't know what I could claim as a job. Worth thinking about though, thanks.

I did think about setting up an ironing and/or dog walking service a while back. Maybe I could do that, might even be able to keep it up when the new job starts, as an extra.

You could sell Avon , be a good time to make some money from it as well.