Anyone very knowledgeable about Maternity Allowance?

[DomesticG0ddess]

I have a specific question, which I am sure I can speak to someone official about - if I can get hold of anyone to speak to, that is.

MA is based on your choice of 13 weeks earnings during a 66 week test period, and you have to be self employed/employed for 26 of those week. I have now been self employed for about 26 weeks, and I don't really plan on earning anymore money. However, I only earned money for 7 of those week (I work freelance and v part time, around DS). I am happy with the amount of MA I will get from these 7 weeks, divided by 13. But what I need to know, is does it matter if I earned nothing for the other 6 weeks of the 13 week period?

Hope this makes sense. Thanks.

I think if you are self-employed, they pay you at the maximum rate in any case

Thanks Bramshott, I do pay Class 2 NI contributions and the guidelines say this:
"if you are self-employed and do not have a small earnings exception certificate, for any week covered by a Class 2 NI contribution you will be treated as having enough earnings to result in the standard rate of MA, payable at the end of the week covered by a Class 2 NI contribution. This means that:

From 7 April 2008 treated as earning £130.20
From 6 April 2009 treated as earning £136.73
From 12 April 2010 treated as earning £138.75
Jobcentre Plus will ask HM Revenue & Customs to confirm the information you give about your Class 2 NI contributions on your MA claim form."

But I don't understand what happens if this doesn't tally with my actual earnings, when it comes to paying tax next year, iyswim.

Are Class 2 NIs the ones you pay monthly? I think that if you are paying them for every week, whether you are earning or not, you are self-employed for all those weeks, and thus get the standard MA rate. All they will check is your NI contributions, not your earnings.

Yes, they are. It would seem to be the case. I am just a bit worried that when I come to fill in my tax return and I haven't earned as much as that, that there would be some sort of issue with this.