More Maternity Allowance questions!

[moobaloo]

Hi

I'm 36+4 with my first baby and just finished work!

Questions re MA!

I've been paid weekly for a while, one week in arrears. I will get paid Saturday week (3rd?) for my last week and then again the next Saturday which isn't wages, just my accrued holiday pay.

When should I ask for my maternity allowance to start? Can it start before I've received my last bit of pay? If not I'm going to be 39 weeks when it starts and I could really use it before that... Plus I might have had the baby by then! (Fingers crossed, don't fancy going overdue!)

If it starts the same week I receive my last pay check of holiday pay will that affect it? The holiday pay won't be much, well under £100.

Also, it's going to be paid fortnightly, but is it paid at the start of the fortnight or in arrears? Will I be paid on the start date I put down or two weeks after that iyswim??

Never claimed any benefits before and I'm finding it very confusing! Don't want to be gagging with it when baby has arrived. I have the letter regarding MA saying I'm going to get it and to write to them when I've finished work with the date I'd like it to start, but I don't know when this should be!?

If you understand anything of what I've just written any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance

X

I put that I wanted it to start on the day that my mat leave starts. I have no idea when that actually makes it into your bank account though. There's a number on the government website that you can phone that gets you straight through to a real person in the MA department that you can ask. I've phoned a couple of times and they've been very helpful.

If you are taking leave before your maternity leave you can't request for your payments to cover the same period as your MA as you are still classed at working. Usually benefits are paid weekly/two weekly/monthly in arrears.

I never worked specifically with MA but I worked in benefits for years until recently.