Maternity Allowance question for the Self Employed

[MagicalCreatures]

My due date is 28th December 2018.
So I’ve been self employed for 9 years. Have always earnt enough money to pay tax and national insurance.
I recently completed my Tax return online for the 2017-2018 tax year and paid my tax and national insurance as always.
My question is, they talk about proving you’ve paid atleast 26 or so weeks, leading up to your due date, of national insurance etc to qualify for the full amount.
But I pay my national insurance at the end of each tax year so how can I prove I’ve paid it when I technically haven’t yet for this tax year before my baby is due?
I’m so confused.

You apply as usual and then if you need to pay more national insurance they contact you with the option of paying it in advance, so you have made the right amount of contributions. I called HMRC and that's what I was told. I asked if I could pay my national insurance now and was told they would contact me if I needed to pay it now to qualify.

I think it's 13 of the 66 weeks before it's due, so if you're paid up for the previous tax year it should be fine.

If for some reason you aren't up to date, they allow you to pay it then.

Ahhh that makes total sense. As long as they give me the chance to pay it in advance rather then just saying I don’t qualify then I’m happy.
Thanks so much x x x

It’s a confusing system.

Also, my first letter I got said I’d get £37 a week or something, leading me to call them in a total panic. They then explained I’d get another letter saying I was entitled to the full amount. It’s just a stupid quirk of two departments not talking to each other properly or something. Hugely stressful at the time, but was fine so don’t panic if it happens to you!

They do like to make it far more complicated then it has to be don’t they.
Anyway, Thankyou. Atleast I know not to panic x