School holidays and maternity allowance?

[PurplePuffinPicker]

I need to work out if I qualify for maternity allowance as a TA. I'll have worked from week 10 to week 37 if all goes well. However, in that time frame, some weeks will be the school holidays. As a TA I'm technically employed term time only but I'll have been contracted over those weeks, and we don't get other paid holidays within the term time.

How will this work for maternity allowance? I think I'll have had 6 weeks of school holidays in the 27 week period if I calculate correctly. Will this still count as having worked for 26 weeks?

I think it is based on your income, not your actual hours worked. Is your pay spread out over the 12 months? If so, you will have payslips covering the whole qualifying period.

I was just coming in to add that, yes, I'll be paid across the 12 month period. Thanks, I didn't know it went off payslips, I thought it was worked on hours worked in each week.

It's based on your NI contribution. Since you have payslips for the school holidays, you were paying NI during that time.

If you’re on temp contract (as opposed to supply agency) then yes, the school holidays count towards your qualifying period. Your contracted, getting paid, so it counts.