Maternity allowance if I volunteer for a charity?

[nattyrose]

Hello. I have a conundrum. I'm currently employed and 8 weeks pregnant but I'm keen to resign and volunteer for a new charity tackling loneliness and isolation that really needs support starting up. There's a chance I may get at least 10 hours a week funded which will help a little bit! I've been thinking of leaving my current job for a while now as I've worked there for 12 years and need a new challenge. It seems daft to leave before taking advantage of maternity pay but I really want to support this charity. I have a 1 year old that goes to a child minder 2 days a week. I have read about maternity allowance but I'm not clear if I'd qualify to receive it if I'm volunteering for approx 5 months before baby arrives? Does anybody have experience of this? Or is anyone aware of any grants to help mothers who volunteer e.g. to pay for childcare?

Can you wait a few months to take maternity & then volunteer whilst on leave, see if it's for you? If it is, stay & if not return to work?

I'd stay in work and leave the volunteering until after your maternity leave. You'd need to find your own childcare, there's no grants for volunteers.

You might qualify. Need to have worked 29 weeks in the 66 weeks before your due date. Sounds like you do, from what you've said. If/when you qualify, it'll be because you've worked enough to do so. Volunteering is irrelevant, except of course that if you choose to stay in your job you'll get SMP not MA. But if you leave, you'll get MA whether you volunteer, work or neither.