Sole Trader with very little work but worked before - will I get Maternity Allowance, if so how much??

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Hi,

I'm new to this site and was looking for some advice please?

I am 20 weeks pregnant and confused about my entitlement to Maternity Allowance.

At the beginning of the 66 week test period, I understand I can use the 8 weeks there where I earned a decent wage.

I recently became self employed/sole trader. Although I will have enough weeks of being self employed to add to my employment period I am concerned as some weeks, I am getting no clients/no work even though I am advertising and sitting here waiting for people.

I was advised by afew people that although my earnings are low and I am nowhere near making any profit, I should still pay class 2 national insurance to help me qualify.
I have not and do not intend to send for a low earnings certificate in case this hampers my claim and also, I could just as easily get several phonecalls in the coming weeks that would disqualify me from this.

Taking my best 13 weeks in the past 66 weeks, I can show an average of over £300 per week.

Will I still qualify for MA even though some weeks I have had no work come to me?

Any advice or experiences with this gratefully received.

Sorry for long post! I also posted this on employmeny matters part but thought it would be better to post here.

Your local job centre might help. Here is an online article about it with all the links to information and the form to apply. I did work it out in the end, it did my head in but then I returned the complete form to the jobcentre, they were quite nice, so I wish I asked there instead of getting a headache.

www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Customers/WorkingAgeBenefits/Dev_008115.xml.html

Find out now if you qualify for it or if you need more work/income to qualify, I just got it but if I had worked only a few days less, I would not have been elegible. So it pays to know early, in which case you have a chance of trying to get some work to fit in. Even part timers qualify but they have these really headachy rules. It would be a pity if you didn't qualify because you miss a few hours or days.