Seriously stressed now

[Newmum0113]

So... Last day at work yesterday and I called my agency to say I'd still not received any paperwork regarding my maternity pay. She said she'd call back in 30 mins but didn't.

She then phoned my mobile at 4:15pm - my baby shower had just started - to tell me that actually I hadn't qualified for maternity pay.

I said this was wrong - I definitely qualified!!! - and that I had worked everything out and confirmed it with her colleague, who has now left the company. She then tried to tell me that it was because I had two weeks off sick - I had surgery at 19 weeks but this was before my qualifying date anyway. I got really angry and upset with the shock and just cried in the phone saying she was wrong. She said she would speak up head office again and call me back in 30mins...guess what..!?!

So after feeling rubbish for a bit I tried not to let it ruin my baby shower, but this morning I feel so anxious about this. I'm actually feeling ill and there's nothing I can even do until Monday! In do frustrated!

What do I do??

surely being off sick shouldnt in any way affect your MAT pay. I would google your stuff online and see who you can contact to find out more info asap.

doesnt sound kosher to me at all .

Being off sick during your qualifying period can affect your eligibility for mat pay. It is calculated on your average earnings between weeks 17-25 (SSP or company sick pay is included in this). Can you work out how much you were paid over these 8 weeks?

If you have been employed for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks prior to your due date, you would be eligible for Maternity Allowance if you haven't earned enough to get SMP. Its the same amount but without the 6 weeks at 90% of salary.

Hi all thanks for the replies. I worked it all out before by myself, with my FIL and with my agent at the agency, who has now left the company. My surgery and sick leave was before my qualifying date.

I received a form in the post today saying I didn't earn enough to qualify - which is a different story to what the new agency woman told me yesterday.

I will be sitting down with a clear head tomorrow and working it all out again. If this is the case though, they should've told me much sooner not wait until my last day. Now I have to start the process of applying for mat allowance.

It's sooo frustrating. I've been working since I was 14. I've paid tax for 10 years. I've never claimed any benefits or anything even when I was made redundant (3 times) - I always found myself work and kept on paying tax etc.

Now I can't have what I've earned and am entitled to?!?

Unlucky for them one of my friends is an employment law specialist. It might cost me all my may pay to get it out of them, but I'm not letting this drop!

Problem is I think this is really affecting me mentally. I couldn't sleep last night and today had to clean the kitchen to keep myself occupied and not stress out. Even as I'm writing ths post I can feel my heart rate has gone up, I'm flushed in the face and I feel sick. Not good! [shocked] and all at the same time!

But as I said above New its money paid to you weeks 17-25 not just one particular week so if you were off weeks 19 and 20 then that would lower your overall average earnings.

Hi Rock I know what you're saying.

My surgery was 30th may and I was off in June. My qualifying period was 4th July to 22nd August.

They are now saying I didn't reach the lower qualifying limit - I need to look into this am not 100% sure of what I averaged across those weeks.

Thanks

Exact same thing happened to me!....all the way thru I was told I would get it, 2 weeks before I was leaving for mat leave I got the dreaded letter saying I wasn't getting it! turns out I missed 2 weeks of work (on holiday) so didn't have enough weeks. In the end it worked out for the best as I claimed Mat allowance and it meant when I decided I wasn't going back to work I didn't have to worry about paying anything back.