return to work dilemma

[vineyard]

My lovely son is 2months old and I am on on 6 months maternity leave as granted by my employer. at this stage I am not 100 percent sure that I will return to work (for geograpahical reasons as well as child rearing commitments). I will however be looking for a job closer to home and plan to return to work. I would like to consider the option of a year off and wondered if anyone can answer the below and how much would it work out to be. any advice would be much appreciated

Can anyone answer the following questions:

If a mother does not return to work, how long must she wait to claim unemployment benefit?

Do you mean jobseeker's allowance? If so, you couldn't claim that unless you are actively seeking work, couldn't claim it on the year off. Do you have a partner? As that will impact on what benefits you are eligible for.

You are entitled to 12 months maternity leave.

Jobseekers allowance is for People seeking jobs, not for enabling people to take out of work to care for their family.

if you are seeking a job but cant find one close enough and with the right hours then you can start claiming job seekers 3 months after youve taken a years maternity leave. if not and youve got a partner that works you can claim income support. remember that you can get help with the cost of childcare when you do return.