MA PAY - Self employed

[daysfilledwithdappledlight]

Hello,

Whether I receive it or not hangs on the 'you need to have been registered as self-employed for at least 26 weeks before your baby is due' part of their rules.

I submitted the form to register as self employed 27 weeks before baby is due. Got the confirmation email 5 days later. So technically registered within with 26 weeks.

(I started working for myself about 35 weeks before the baby is due but didn't realise the rush / importance of formally registering linked to MA pay)

Q's.....

All is fine if baby comes on time / late. However if baby comes early (and may need a planned C Section) then am I screwed?

Would HMRC backdate the registered date? Move it backwards a little to 29 weeks (I was self employed at this time just hadn't completed the forms) Has anyone requested this or done this?

Has anyone had any experience of being this close and it working out?!

It makes such a huge financial difference if I don't qualify because I submitted the form too close / late....

Thanks very much for any advice

For self employed people and MA, you need to have been registered as self employed for 26 out of the last 66 weeks before your due date.

So eligibility is not based on when your baby is born, it's based on the estimated due date that is on the MATB1 form you send in with your claim. Baby being early/late doesn't change your eligibility.

There's also an earnings threshold to get full MA, and you may need to top up your class 2 national insurance contributions to get it in full. If that's the case this will be explained to you after they receive your application.

If you were in employment for 26 weeks or more in the 66 weeks before your due date (before you were self employed) then you would also be eligible on that basis without the self employment/national insurance faff.

When you fill in the form you include all your employment and self employment history for those 66 weeks, and they will then look at your tax records etc.

Thanks - so useful to know they stick by the due date, I should just be ok then as the due date is 26 weeks + a few days 😂