Maternity allowance - how do you manage?

[LaMamaJade]

I'm a first time mum, I've closed my business in fashion in December and as a self employed person my maternity allowance has been calculated at around £600 a month. I just wondered if this is roughly average, and how you manage to survive on this? It covers my rent with £15 to spare.
The other thing I can't get my head around is that the application form states that you shouldn't be working while receiving the benefit and you are only allowed 10 'checking in days' to keep up to date with your job. This is impossible for me. I'm sure most self employed mums just ignore this bit and carry on. I have some savings that will probably last until may when the MA finishes but I just think its unfair that I basically have to quit my job, for fear of being caught and penalised. Any advice welcome.
Thank you

£600 per month is the max Maternity Allowance.

Babies take 9 months to arrive, usually, some of which should be used to prepare. Baby’s dad is supposed to support financially. And, generally speaking, employed women can’t work without losing their SMP either. That’s the deal for getting money from the govt.

It is tough if you have no savings or a single income.

Are you going to be a single parent? If so then you would claim Universal credit to top up maternity allowance once your baby is born. Uc will help with rent and give you an element for yourself and your child. However MA will be deducted pound for pound from any Uc award but if you have no partner then you should get some UC top up. If you don't have rent to pay, it will not be much of a top up. It would be £409 single element (assuming you are over 25) and £235 for your child, so a total of around £40 a month but more if you have rent to pay.

Also if you are single then child maintenance is not counted as income for Uc.

Don't forget to claim child benefit. It's not loads but helps. They do check on the 10 days and request the money back you have paid if caught. A friend was reported for being in work (a very public business so easy for them to check up on) and ended up having to pay back thousands. If you are going to be able to work more than the 10 days then why not go back to work earlier. I'm presuming if the £600 seems like a small amount to you then you earn much more so surely working part time would keep the business going but mean you can manage child care earlier.

You save up for it, and the babies dad helps too. No one can realistically survive on just mat allowance/SMP, you need to plan and save. And no of course you can’t work on mat leave, you’re either on mat leave or you work and you’re not. You can’t claim mat allowance whilst working, they’ll make you pay it all back. If you have enough savings to last until May then have mat leave until May then go back to work?

My friend made sure her 10 keep in touch days were the highest earning ones, not sure if you could do that?