Baffled by maternity Allowance

[Doodlekitty]

Hi all

I've been trying to work this out for weeks and have posted before on pregnancy forum about it but I'm still baffled so I hope you can help.

I've just started a new job after being unemployed since July last year. I started in May and am currently 20 weeks pregnant. I'm due on 26th October and will have been working for 24 weeks.
Obviously I don't qualify for SMP. But as far as I can tell I do't qualify for MA either because I will not have been working for 26 weeks out of 66. I stopped working in July as I was a supply teacher, obviously there is no work over July and August.
It seems to me like if i had not got my job i would have qualified for something, but because I've been working, but not for long enough, I'll get nothing. Am I right? In a real panic as there is no way we can survive without my wage (lived on savings and then JSA plus hubbies wage while unemployed).

You could be right. If I were you I would firstly talk it over with the helpline given on MA, then if your fears are confirmed I would sign up with one or two temping agencies and try to get an extra two weeks' worth of admin work over the summer holidays.

What would you have got had you not been working?

You are right that you need to have been employed or self-employed for 26 weeks out of 66. Do you realise that part weeks count as a week? So if you started on a Wednesday, that counts as a week. Might that make a difference?

Other than that, I agree with AKMD, try to get something anything over the summer for a few weeks.

Erm - I think OP is now employed and so looking for something over the summer will not help as she will be employed then anyway. It was last summer when she should have done some temp work to build up her entitlement.

What do you think you would have got had you not been working OP? I don't think you are actually any worse off.

Have you looked into tax credits etc?

Sorry, I was a bit unclear on that. I now have a job which is non-teaching. My comment about getting ore if I was not unemployed refers to tax credits. As I'm now employed that takes us over the threshold to receive tax credits, but I wont be getting paid during my mat leave, but I'll still be employed so wont receive Tax credits....

I think

You may still be entitled to tax credits, as they will work it out based on your current year's income. If that means you will be below the threshold for the current tax year (or the following tax year) then its certainly worth claiming.

Alternatively, the money you are earning now, put as much aside as you can now, and give yourself a monthly 'allowance' out of that while on maternity to make up for it. You are surely better off overall, as you are earning now rather than claiming JSA, so rather than just looking at income from benefits, look at all income and see it that way.