Maternity allowance - closing limited company

[Lovemylittlebear]

Hi all

Hoping someone might be able to give me some advice. I am due in April. I trade as a sole trader through a limited company. Due to Covid making work hard, risk of doing my job hands on whilst pregnant and stress levels from various recent traumatic news we have had I have started to close my limited company and am handing over my work. The company will go into cessation in January. I’ve been told by accountant that I’ll still be eligible for maternity allowance but I’m a bit worried incase they have that wrong as I have just been on the phone to citizens advice and the gentleman I spoke to said he wasn’t sure I would still be entitled to it but to go with what accountant has told me. Has anyone been in this situation and do they know if I will still be eligible as we will be in desperate need of the cash to live on until the baby is a bit older and I can look for alternative part time employment.

Thanks in advance :)

You need to have been employed or self employed for 26 weeks out of the 66 weeks before the due date and in 13 of those 26 weeks you need to have earned at least £30 per week.

www.gov.uk/maternity-allowance/eligibility

Thanks so much - the phrasing of that mega confuses me. Have been trying to get my head around it. I’ve been employed through the company for six years and earn at least the minimum amount. At what stage in pregnancy can I stop working and still qualify if it’s possible to swap the phrasing round to how many weeks pregnant lol rather than the 26 weeks out of 66 lol? Thanks for your help x

As long as in the last 66 weeks up until birth you have worked for 26 of them it doesn't matter when you leave. Count back 66 weeks from your due date - from that date forward have you worked for at least 26 weeks? If so, then you qualify

By googling, 66 weeks before April 2021 is around December 2019. If you've worked for at least 26 weeks between December 2019 and April 2021 then you qualify.

Oh that’s brill thanks ever so much - so helpful thank you :) x