Maternity allowance.

[lyndstee]

Hi, Im currently 34 weeks pregnant and making a claim for maternity allowance as im in the lower earnings threshold (15 hours per week). The thing is I was signed off work (without sick pay as I hadf only worked for the company a few months) when i was 8 weeks pregnant due to bleeding.

Im worried as ive been made aware that the test period for mat allowance is 13 weeks and ive been off sick for that time and all my pay slips show zero.

Will i still be able to make a claim for mat allowance and would they be able to take my previous employment into consideration?

please help Im really worried. Thanks x

its any 13 weeks in previouse 60-something if that helps?

The test period is the period of 66 weeks up to and including the week before the week your baby is due. As long as you were employed for at least 26 weeks in your 66 week test period, you can pick any of those weeks to make up your 13.
From the DWP website:
"Your earnings are averaged over any 13 weeks in your test period. The 13 weeks do not have to be in a row and you may choose the weeks with the most earnings to help you get more MA. Earnings from all your jobs (if you have more than one) and earnings you are treated as having from self-employment will be used to work out your average weekly earnings. If your average is at least equal to £30 a week you will get MA."

I gave up work when i was 8 weeks pregnant as my eldest daughter became seriously ill and i needed to be with her. I claimed for Maternity allowance at 29 weeks pregnant and got it as i had continually worked fro 26 weeks of the 66 week test period. I gave in 13 payslips from last Sept to Jan of this year and they were happy with that. It is always worth trying to claim for it they can only say no. Good luck xxxx

Just go through all your payslips from the last 66 weeks and find the 13 with the highest earnings and submit those.