arrrrgh - Do I qualify for SMP?!totally baffled

[CrazyAlien06]

hi there,
I am currently covering a maternity contract in a school , I started the contract on 17th January 2011 and it finishes on 12th July. WIll I get SMP? I am totally confused by what dates they go by, I have handed my MATB1 form into my payroll department and am hoping that they can work it out!
If I am not I guess I apply for MA instead?

You need to have been employed for 26 weeks by the 15th week before your due date. Will you have been there 26 weeks by the time you are 25 weeks pregnant?

Hi,
just to say, my employer's HR people got it wrong... don't trust them blindly! When I handed in the stuff for MA, they sent it back saying that my employer had said I didn't qualify for SMP due to reason A), but according to the details this was not true. I still did not qualify for SMP but for a different reason B). But the MA folks didn't tell me that so I had to get back to my employer and tell them to tick box b please and send me the form again and resend it to the MA people... I was very confused! And nobody seemed able to help. Hope your HR people are better organised. Good luck and congrats on your pregnancy!

I don't think I do, I think I would have been employed for 22/23 weeks. I am due on 2nd Oct.
Meita YEah I am cautious of what they will say-is there anywhere I can get advice from?

Also do you know how I go about claiming anything else that I may be entitled too?As tried online for tax credits but filling in the income bit got confusing as some bits said if you wont be working type in 0 income whereas another note said put in your last years earnings! arrghhh

26 Weeks service is the 17/07/2011 so you won't qualify for SMP. You will get MA though. Which is the same as SMP just without the first 6 weeks being at 90% pay.

Have you looked at the directgov website? They have a really good bit about mat pay and benefits. There's a calculator/calender bit that you put all you info into and it tells you all the answers!