refused maternity assistance

[frenchfries22]

I wonder if someone might be able to help me. I have been working overseas for the last 5 years and came back to the UK to start a new job - after accepting the job I found out I was pregnant. When we arrived back in the UK my new employer deferred my employment until November as there were project delays so I have not been working since July, I am due in Decemeber. I have just been informed I do not qualify for maternity assistance (after an 8 week wait) on the basis that I have been outside the UK. Does anyone have any advice as to what I could do. I have looked up CAB but they seem to not be available after 2pm I will go and see them first thing Monday but anyone else with similar experiences? I am in a bit of a state about how we are going to manage
Thank you

I don't know about round our way but here we can referr ourselves directly to the midwives at the hospital. Is it worth phoning up the senior midwife that runs the department at your local hospital and see what they say?

By maternity assistance do you mean pay?

Is it your work who are saying you do not qualify? I can understand why you may not qualify for staturary (govt provided) but will your private employer not provide maternity pay as a good will gesture?

Sorry if I have the wrong end of the stick!

Do you mean Maternity Allowance?

I'm sorry, I don't have any advice, but I'm sure someone will know, or if not you could post in Legal or Chat? Chats very busy and may catch someones eye x

If you're not entitled to Maternity Allowance you may be entitled to Income Support. Contact Jobcentre plus.

I'm not entitled to anything either as I was a student when I found out I was pregnant so had not been paying NI contributions. And as my partner works I am not entitled to any benefits like income support either. Thing is we can't survive on his wages. So I'm going to have to work as a temp right up to the birth and then god knows what after the baby is born It sucks I know. x

Thank you for your responses apologies for the confusion I had meant maternity allowance. I will contact the job centre again on Monday but have so far been less than impressed with their help I will also try CAB. Roxie I am in exactly the same boat and unfortunatley looks like I will have to go back to work as soon as I am fit enough, hardly the way I dreamt of spending time with my first baby.

There is a directgov web (try the following or google) which will tell you your entitlements.

www.direct.gov.uk/en/Diol1/EmploymentInteractiveTools/DG_065384

Sorry Lucieloo I missed your post. My new company are not obliged to give SMP since I have not worked there long enough. I am pretty certain that they were hoping I would step down from the positiob given the time delay and perhaps in hindsight I should of. Am now quite confused as to what's best. I am hoping for a lottery win tomorrow! X

Was going to suggest the direct.gov.uk website too. Afaik, you do need to have been working for 6 months in the UK during the qualifying period to get MA.

Maternity benefits are based on you NI contributions in the past 3 years so you wont be entitled to MA.

For MA you need to have worked for 26 weeks in the @15 months before baby due. Which is fair enough really - it's there to support the self employed or those recently made unemployed. But you may be entitled as a household to other benefits.

My sympathies, though - seems to me you have been stitched up somewhat by your new employers. Its all v bad luck re the timing.

I'm not sure of the ins and outs, but if you google maternity allowance, and go to the direct.gov site (sorry, can't do links!)

From there you can download the MA1 form
On the last page, or near there, there are some helplines specifically for advice about maternity pay - I've found them really, really helpful.

That is unfortunate, but I don't think you will qualify for maternity allowance as you have not been working, nor have time to work the required hours before the birth.

I am in a similar position, as I unexpectedly had to stay abroad to care for my partner after he was involved in a motorbike accident, when I had been planning to come home and work for the last four months before the baby comes. Those months would have given me time to work up to maternity allowance, but now I'll get nothing (and a partner who is unable to work). Of course it was my choice to stay and care for him rather than work, but, well, there obviously wasn't really any choice as far as I'm concerned.

Sucks, but that's the way it goes. Good luck finding a way to make your finances work for your family.

I guess the rules must have changed, then, as I qualified for Maternity Allowance based on having paid NI abroad in the months before ds was born? (This was 5 years ago).

In the MA1 form there is a large section on working abroad.

Your partner should be able to claim child tax credits but this is means tested.

Also, don't assume that what the DWP tell you is always right. They do have problems processing claims correctly for people who have been abroad but they are correct that you're not entitled to MA in this instance. Also, you wouldn't be entitled to Income Support unless your partner is on a ridiculously low wage and working less than 16 hours a week.

Also don't forget that you may be able to claim Housing Benefit (if you rent) or Council Tax Benefit from your local Council. Again these are means tested.

Thanks for all your responses and advice. I agree its been very bad timing and quite unfortunate. Aparently if I had been working in Australia it would have been a different outcome the annoying thing is I actually called them before coming back to the UK to check if I would be eligeable and was told I would be. My husband is not a British citizen and his visa states he is not allowed to use any government funding so I will check what other avenues we can look at. At this point it
Seems we will need to try and survive the next few months and then I start working asap. I hate having to worry so much when I should be enjoying the pregnancy and feeling excited.

Thanks again I really appreciate the advice

In that case you will need to claim housing and council tax benefit, assuming you are the British citizen.