What kind of maternity pay do I qualify for- if any?

[12ylnon]

I'm very confused!
I've worked for my current job for just over a year. I work 6 hours a week so it's very part time. I don't earn enough to qualify for smp from this job.
The trouble is that I'm also self employed and have only been so for about a month. I'm a childminder and I only have the child for two days a week and my contract with them finishes in April, but I'm unsure of the exact date.
I was hoping to advertise myself some more and get more mindees while I was pregnant, but I'm not sure how it would effect my any maternity pay I got.
Now I'm not sure wether to take maternity leave, or just keep soldiering on with the childminding (this was my original plan, I was also supposed to be quitting my other job in order to do this, but we can't really afford it ATM).
I have no idea what I qualify for- if someone could give me some pointers I'd really appreciate it!

It sounds to me like - if you are NOT eligible for maternity pay from your employer - you are definitely eligible for maternity ALLOWANCE as long as those 6 hours you work add up to £30?
Go online and type in Maternity Allowance and it will come up with a form. It shows the testing period of when they will look at and you have to have worked a certain amount of weeks to qualify - think it is 26? I can't remember now - it'll say on the form. And you send them copies of your payslips.
Good luck.

I'm a CM, I claimed Maternity Allowance (at the same rate as SMP from an employer would be) .

Yes you have to have worked for your employer for 26 weeks to get Maternity Allowance. I think we read that it's about £85 a week. I'm not sure about your childminding and how that would affect things though, it all depends on whether you're earning enough to pay National Insurance. If you are paying, then you probably qualify for more than the minimum Maternity Allowance. There is another thread on here from a few weeks back about a similar topic, you might be able to find some answers there. Good luck!

If your class 2 NI Payments are up to date you should qualify for the full rate of MA, which is £135 per week.

Yep - and it doesnt have to be the same employer - I had 3 in the last year for example. You just have to show that you have worked 26 weeks during a specific period. I am due in Feb this year so my period was Nov 2011 to Feb 2013.

I think you will qualify for Maternity Allowance, but not if you keep up the childminding - I wouldn't plan to keep on childminding anyway - for at least a few months you need some time to focus on your own little one.