Maternity allowance??

[macdoodle]

Quick question for those self employed mums ...just filled the MA form in online .and though it is a big long bloody form as far as I can see if I have been paying self emplyed NI contributions, they only need the form and my MatB1 cert ..is this right do they not need any tax returns etc?? Assumably they have records of tax paid etc..Can it not be submitted electronically does it need to be printed out and sent off??
Or am I being pregnant brain dense??

I'm currently on MA and when I applied (in March) all I needed was the form and the Mat B1 cert. "They" will know from your NI number if you've been paying enough NI contributions!

You will have to put it in the post as the MATB1 isn't electronic and also it goes to your local job centre rather than a central place. Plus I think it needs your signature.

Hope that helps!

Just found out I don't qualify for maternity allowance cos i have savings. Not fair - i've been working and no point going back to work cos the cost of child care would eat up the money I earn! Boo!!

How do they know you have savings it doesn't ask on form I don't recall...and cannot see how it is relevant is it ?? I would argue this point ....

Hi macdoodle. I rang the JobCentre to begin making a claim for Mat Allow. (They fill in the form over the phone). There was a question about having savings over a certain amount and i said yes, we have savings over that amount. I was declined Mat Allow on that basis. I suppose its relevant as the Govt may say 'If you have savings, use those up first before making a claim'. I suppose its a way for the Govt to save money on not paying out to people who (in their view) may not be in dire need of financial help.

NB: If i say i'm going back to work, I would get Mat Pay from employer irrelevant of savings and may not have to pay it back even if i don't return to work.

wow doesn't sound fair...I filled form in online and posted it off so no one ever asked if I have savings....which I do but have debt way in excess of them...would pay off all my loans etc first if I had to just to make a point....

Hmm, will call my local Jobcentre and see if i have any luck with them. I can't lie about savings as they may check using my NI number. Will have a look at filling in form on-line. Thanks.

I can't see anything about the amount of savings a person has being relevant for maternity allowance. It is not a means tested benefit. Are you sure? There is nothing about it in the literature anywhere.

It may not be in the literature but I sure got asked about it. It may be a case that they ask you after you have filled in the form. Anyway, i'm going to call my local Jobcentre tomorrow to find out what's going on. I may not qualify anyway for mat allow as i haven't worked that much over the past year or so due to RSI type damage to nerves in my arms. Will do everything i can to get money though. Thanks.

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than me wil post. I thought maternity allowance was a replacement for those who don't get statutory maternity allowance - which is not means tested. So it doesn't make sense that it would be. Both are ultimately paid for by the government as SMP is claimed back by employers. You never know - how much you have in savings is a pretty much normal question for many (but not all) benefits so maybe the person who asked it got confused. Let us know how you get on.

Guess what!

Just called Jobcentre again and turns out the woman who i spoke to first time got it wrong: Turns out i wasn't entitled to any extra benefit - which doesn't include Mat Allow (which is not means tested).

The form is being sent out to me to check. As long as i have worked enough weeks to qualify, i should get it.

(which means i can get lovely stuff for the nursery - but not buying anything apart from essentials until money is in my account - just in case!)

Yey excellent result - good job we have MN or you might never have bothered checking

I have to say, mumsnet is wonderful.

As a first time mum, i feel supported and a member of a big club.

Also, cos its anonymous, i can be quite open and frank (but still polite) and not worry about being identified.

Glad you got it sorted. I checked for you, the only reason they asked you on the telephone about savings is because they want to check if you are entitled to any other benefits. I was assured that maternity allowance has nothing to do with savings but is based on whether enough contributions have been paid. Well done - enjoy your spending.

So thoughtful of you to check. Thanks.

(Why are you up at 2.15 am?)

6 weeks to go so the size of a house and chronic indigestion - so I don't do much sleeping at the moment.

Oh dear - i have still have that to look forward to (27 weeks). Hope all goes well.

3 weeks here and not a sound from the DSS about my MA....hmm gonna be out of pocket as gotta pay my replacement at work...

Hi mac. Call them on Monday morning and let us know what happens (am hoping its not lost on that blooming computer disk - i think somebody thought it was a new computer game and took it home !)

LOL actaully just realised its 3 weeks till my due date and only a week till I start mat leave bugger should have chased them earlier