How long did your Maternity Allowance take to get sorted?

[hejaco]

I sent my forms off 2 weeks ago and wondering how long it might take to hear back from them!

When I applied for MA with my first son, it took about 2 months so a bit worried... but there was a huge backlog then (2008) and hoping it would have cleared by now!

I finished work 3 weeks ago and sent my form off as soon as I finished (couldn't any earlier as needed last payslip) so they should have all the info, including the date I stopped work.

Any ideas?

Mine took just over 1 week. I claimed at the beginning of Feb and started receiving payments within 2 weeks. They pay it fortnightly.

my forms were sent off 3 weeks ago and still have heard nothing back. getting worried now as we are broke

It took about 4 weeks from when I sent off the form to when I received a letter to say I was eligible. Haven't had a payment yet, but I think that's because I opted to get payments every 4 weeks.

You can ring them on 08456088610 and they will tell you whether they received your application and when it will be dealt with. I rang them a couple of times while I was waiting, they told me they had a 2-3 week backlog.

Hi guys hope you don't mind me butting in, does everyone have to fill out a maternity form? I've signed one to say when i want to finish work and when starting maternity but nothing else, is there more i need to do? New to this and confused help.

if you qualify for maternity pay then it will be paid through the payroll at your work and you will get paid in the same way as normal salary eg. into bank

Can someone confirm something for me-I thought MA was paid for 39 weeks, googling it now seems to say only paid up to 26 weeks. which is right? Im hoping not to be paid any till baby here or very close to date of the birth-there is an option for that isnt there? just thinking if its 26weeks only then if i take it before baby here, will end up having to go back to work very quickly after the birth.

Hmm, I thought it was paid for 39 weeks as well. I'm sure that is what I was told on the helpline.

I sent my form off ages ago, then eventually had it back because the GP had only written my name in one of the two places on the form, and they needed her to write it in the other as well . I re-posted the amended form last week. Given that it's Easter I'm not at all sure what to expect. DD is due at month end ...

My MA's just finished and it's definitely been 39 weeks since April '07. I'm self-employed and applied for mine as soon as I could but asked for it not to be paid until my due date. (Although if they had, I could have just not spent it immediately). I got the letter confirming this within a couple of weeks BUT they 'forgot' to begin payments when my baby was born. When I called, they said that this sometimes happens if you request a delay in payments. Since then, it's been paid regularly.

Oh thats great. i thought 9 months was good but 6 months was pretty dismal especially if taking it before the birth. Just got to get my smp1's signed, wade through the application and send off now! fingers crossed.