Maternity Allowance Chat

[allthingssparkly]

Maternity allowance chat, it's a little bit of a minefield so hopefully someone can give me some guidance!

Currently not working because its the summer holidays I'm looking after my children and the agency I work for is schools based, but I'm registered with an agency for work and have been since March 2022 and so far I've done 11 weeks of work via the agency. To be entitled to MA you need to have worked for 26 weeks or more, the weeks don't have to be together or with the same employer. I've only done 11 weeks and don't upto now have any other employment which is within my test period for qualifying for MA, so the way I understand this is that I need another 15 weeks of employment minimum to be entitled to MA 😬

I haven't told them my pregnancy news yet. I didn't want to say a word until I got offered another position incase they used pregnancy against me if that makes sense.

My test period dates going off my EDD are 28th Nov 2021 to 4th March 2023, so I still have time to make up the 15 weeks employment but it's just worrying me 😩😩

I'm just about to apply for mine, currently printing off my pay slips and waiting for my SMP1 from HR (they previously sent me a blank one). It's scary stuff. I'm worried I won't get it in on time (due in October) and the amount is so low that with cost of living rising so high, I'm worried how we will get by.

I don't blame you for keeping quiet in regards to work yet, hopefully you will get a new contract soon and can apply.

@Pinktruffle I hope you get yours sorted, I think the time scale is 20 working days for them to provide you with a response as to whether or not you've been accepted for it once they have your form.

I hope I get something too 🙏

In the same position, work for a school through an agency but didn't start until May. Worked 8 weeks so far and need another 5 weeks worth of payslips before I can send the form off (think it's 13 payslips you need to send) before that I was working part time so would rather save payslips from this job. Did your agency give you an smp1 form? Also one of the questions on the form is about dates worked (on page 7 of the form) that I'm confused about, do I just put from May until December or do I put May until July and then September until December? Like missing out the half terms? And also i don't want to finish work until December so want to 0ut December as the date I've worked until but not sure if I can because il be sending it before December. Page 7 has got me in a confused state lol! Hopefully someone knows what I'm trying to ask, I'm aware I'm rambling 😂 x

@Madmax1992 Did you get sorted with your Maternity Allowance application?

@Pinktruffle Was yours a successful outcome?

X

@allthingssparkly I was successful, though I had to phone them up to actually get it started as the form I sent in to confirm the birth of my son hadn't been processed after 3 weeks of waiting.
It is a pittance but we are managing so far, mainly due to DH getting a surprise but generous pay rise in October.

I'm glad you got sorted @Pinktruffle but not so good about having to phone to chase 👎 I'm waiting on the decision letter but it could take weeks due to the royal mail strikes/christmas post. It maybe that I get my payment before the letter! I just don't understand when I'll get my 1st payment 😮‍💨 I have gone on maternity leave from today and they said when I spoke to them that due to when I last worked payment would start from 18th Dec but that's a Sunday. I have requested the payments 4 weekly. Is it paid in arrears?

If you are already on leave and havent heard anything soon, I would phone to chase. The woman I spoke to made it sound like letters going missing was a regular occurrence. My first payment was of £800 odd and was in arrears

Only just gone on leave @Pinktrufflebut I'm just trying to understand whether I'll receive my first payment in December or not until January. Can't seem to find further information on payments online. Will call them at the end of next week, then I know I've left enough time for the claim to have been processed.

I had to call them up yesterday as I got my first payment of a very small amount come through without a letter so I was worried that I had not been allowed the full amount.

She said that payments are made o the 3rd Tuesday of the month so I imagine you should get something come though on the 20th :) and that should be backdated to whenever your leave started (my first payment was for 3 days from the 4th of December to when the payment came through hence why it was only a little bit)

They also put me on payments every 2 weeks instead of the 4 that I requested... So I had to get that changed, hopefully that shouldn't be an issue with yours though :)

Thank you @Preseli I got a text message yesterday to say my MA has been awarded and I will get a smaller payment in the next few working days and then my regular payments will start on the 23rd Jan. So glad I've had some notification as receiving post in my area is ridiculously slow at the moment 👎

@allthingssparkly Hi, im waiting to be able to apply for maternity allowance as i dont qualify for SMP as i started a new job whilst pregnant. Online it says min MA is £27 per week for 39 weeks or £156 per week for 39 weeks. Is there any way of knowing roughly how much i will be entitled to before i have applied and heard back? Im worried i;ll get the £27 per week which would not be liveable?

Thanks in advance :)

workingfamilies.org.uk/articles/maternity-allowance/#:~:text=If%20you%20are%20employed%2C%20to,payslips%20(if%20paid%20monthly).

This link seems to suggest they pick your highest earning qualifying weeks, average those, then it's 90% of that or £156, whichever is lower.

So basically if you earned at least £173 in 13 of the qualifying weeks then you get the £156 payment.

I hope so, anyway, because I'm in the same boat - ish. I'm actually going self-employed, so I've made it even more complicated, hope they base it off my employment, not self-employment.