Maternity allowance!! Anyone recently applied?

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I got a text message acknowledging receipt of my application and it says I should hear back about their decision within 8 weeks!! Is this the standard message they send and has anyone else who has applied in the last month or so willing to let me know how long they were waiting??

Thanks in advance [signed-(going to be) very poor, (currently) very pregnant and very emotional!]

Update.... it gets better.....

NI people rang back (just with their 48 working hours) and said it had been escalated to the wrong people. That there was nothing they could (or would) do about it and gave us another number and told us to ring it!! Charming!!!

The incompetence has no limits

Job for tomorrow.....

Is this the same as maternity pay?

I gave my employer my form only a couple of weeks ago but I haven’t had any texts or anything? I thought my employer paid me? I only get SMP but not sure if it’s the same at mat allowance?

@SexlessBoulderBelly it's different than SMP
Which comes through your employer. SMA is for People not eligible for SMP through their employer and people who are self employed

@PrayingandHoping ahh thank you for explaining. I’ve seen a lot about the delay in payment with mat allowance and started to worry as I was really late the party handing my slip in to claim

@SexlessBoulderBelly tell about it! My little one is 5.5 weeks old!!!

I applied on Monday when I was 26 weeks and got a text this morning saying a decision would be made in 10 weeks, so hopefully the time is getting a bit shorter!

Still waiting I rang them 2 weeks ago if I didn’t they wouldn’t of said about missing signature from midwife didn’t send me my mat b1 also had to send my payslips again got them back last week. Haven’t received a text or anything very poor communication between them really 5 weeks waiting and I’m running out of money as my wages have now gone on weekly food shop.

Finally.... nearly 4 months later I have had confirmation this morning in the post that I have been awarded the full MA. It was a right mess between NI people and MA people but finally late friday we got an MA person on phone who finally sorted it out.

Good luck everyone!

Theres a massive staff shortage apparently. I applied at 26 weeks and im 32 weeks now and my text i received on 14th November said they'd make a decision in 14 weeks ! So i won't be getting anything till about 19th February so im hoping its backdated to when i applied at 26 weeks

I asked for an emergency payment last Thursday and instead they assessed my application and I begin my payments next Thursday. I applied 1st November.

@LucaFritz yes it gets backdated. Although a week or so after u receive your first payment

Hope it all goes smoother for u all! Def don't assume they will work it out right!

Does anyone have the number of who to ring to check the claim? I haven't heard anything since the text saying 14 weeks.. Wondering if to chase up? Thanks

Just a heads up - I applied in Nov exactly on the 26 week dot. Still hadn't got a decision in Jan, so I got my MP on the case. They've now thankfully sorted it.

The DWP had said they sent me a form in Dec asking me when I was stopping work, but I didn't get this letter. Presumably if my MP hadn't have chased up, it would've got to my due date and I still wouldn't have heard back!

Just mentioning here in case any of you have been waiting a while - could be worth either contacting the DWP or getting your MP to on your behalf.