Maternity allowance help

[Clemmie83]

Hello,

I wonder if anyone can help as I'm getting really stressed out at the moment!

I was made redundant in November, the job market was very quiet December/January so I accepted that I'd have some time off and things would pick-up again in February/March...then the Coronavirus crisis hit and the job market is non-existent! I'm also now 6 weeks pregnant (a very much longed for baby after 15 months of trying!) I realise that I'm not going to get maternity pay whatever happens but now I'm worried that I'm not even going to be entitled to maternity allowance. My understanding is that you need to have worked 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before your due date. At the moment I've only worked 13 weeks in that period and I'm really worried with the economy the way it is that finding another job especially whilst pregnant is going to be really difficult.

Does anyone have any advice on what I can do or is anyone is a similar situation? I'd really appreciate any help as I feel so overwhelmed with the whole situation... xx

Depending on your partner's income you may be eligible for Universal Credit? Apart from that, could you look at doing temp work to top up the number of weeks?

There are jobs available at the moment, it's totally understandable that you wouldn't want to start a customer facing job but something like a delivery driver might be worth considering? Pharmacies are looking for people to deliver medication?

@Rockchick1984 thanks for your reply. Unfortunately I don't drive so delivery driver is out. The only jobs I'm really seeing are NHS or supermarkets, in normal circumstances I'd take anything but being now being pregnant I'm not too keen on a public facing role due to the virus.

I've also looked into Universal Credit and we wouldn't get it due to my husbands income. He doesn't even earn a lot, definitely not enough to support us both and a baby...

Is your husband employed or self employed?

@help1653 Employed. We've got our fingers crossed he doesn't get furloughed!

Ah OK, if he was self employed there is a lesser amount of Maternity Allowance available for spouses of self employed people who help in the business but are unpaid.

The other thing to explore is if you can set up as self employed for the required number of weeks and pay NI contributions to qualify.

@help1653 thanks for taking the time to reply and come up with ideas. What would I need to do to register to become self employed? Do you know much about it? Any help massively appreciated!

You may not be eligible for UC now but once you have the baby you would get a work allowance meaning that a certain amount of your partners wages would be disregarded before his wages reduce your UC. you would also get a child element and if you rent you would get an increased rent element too. Did you do the calculation as if the baby was here ?

@babyroobs Oh really? I didn't know any of that, thanks for pointing that out...I've never claimed any type of benefits before so I'm completely clueless! We've got a house with a mortgage so the rent element wouldn't apply but hopefully the other things might make a difference...

You would get a higher work allowance if you have a mortgage. Once you have the baby the first £512 of earnings would be completely disregarded before earnings reduce your UC so would be worth checking entitlement again.

@babyroobs Thanks, I'll take a look!

Sorry, another question to add to this thread as I'm clueless on this - it I have to claim job seekers allowance (I haven't had an income since my redundancy in November) will these weeks count towards maternity allowance?

Congratulations on your pregnancy!

You should have been claiming JSA since you left your job. I advise you to claim ASAP. It's called "new-style Jobseekers Allowance" and you can claim online.

It won't make you eligible for Maternity Allowance but it will protect your National Insurance contribution record, because you'll get credits.

As for Maternity Allowance, you just need to do 13 weeks of work between now and your due date. Keep looking, try temp agencies, perhaps there would be an office-based job (ie non public facing).