Do you get maternity allowance if not going back?

[CornflakeKid]

I will not earn enough to claim SMP, so will be entitled to maternity allowance - I am not planning on going back because pay more in childcare than earn! Will I get MA if not going back? Not entitled to other benefits to help with childcare due to dh salary - and I want to stay at home with baby! I can't seem to find an answer to this specific question and the maternity alliance seems to have shut up shop.

Thanks

I'd be pretty sure that you do. I am self-employed and will claim maternity allowance this time round. I can't imagine it's anyone's business other than mine if at the end of the six months I decide not to work any more.

I had to claim MA with my last maternity leave (from April 2005 to September 2005) as I started the job during the pregnancy. Didn't go back to work as I fell in love being a mum! I didn't have to pay any of my MA back.

i got MA after giving up work in pregnancy

have now been out of work for nearly 3 years and havent had to pay anything back

You never have to pay MA back. Relax!

Great thanks folks!

What if you finish work long before the baby's due? I'm due Feb 07 but spending all day on my feet outside (even when provided with a chair) is getting too much. Would I be entitled to anything if I left in the next couple of weeks?

Print off form MA1 from the Department of Work and Pensions website. It has notes included which help you work out your 'test period'. As long as you were working during that period, you'll be fine.
I've claimed MA twice in 2 years so I know a little bit about it.
Get your claim in quickly, as they are currently working to their maximum 18 working days requirement to deal with claims.
Alternatively, ring your local Jobcentre, who will give you the phone number for the MA office for your area. They'll be able to tell you when you'll be entitled from.
You ABSOLUTELY DO NOT have to pay a penny back, even if you choose not to return to work.

I will be claiming MA as I have not been with the same employer very long. As long as you have worked for 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before your due date, yes, 66, you are entitled to MA. It is a government benefit and you never have to pay it back. You can claim from as soon as you leave work, but it will only pay out for six months and then zero, no more money. Better than nothing, I suppose. With child benefit it works out about five hundred quid or so a month.

apparently if you're giving birth after 1st April 07, you can claim it for 9 months. hurrah!

Yeah I saw that. Four months too late for me. I'll make up for it with the next one.

Marvellous isn't it? You try for ages for a baby, think it can't come soon enough, and then find out if you'd waited a bit longer you'd have been financially better off. Great....