Entitled to Maternity Allowance?

declanmcc

Hi,

My wife is 16 weeks pregnant (due around 6th January 2009). At a very early stage in her pregnancy she suffered from a lot of nausea and abdominal pain (known as round ligament pain apparently). The only comfort from was pain was to rest and subsequently she resigned from her job. Her job was in retail and was 15 hours per week.

After waiting so long to get pregnant, and after successful fertility treatment, we decided this was the best course of action at the time - as we didn't want to put her or the baby at risk!

If she had worked up until 7 months then she would have been entitled to SMP.

Would she be entitled to Maternity Allowance? She worked up until early May, therefore I believe she worked 26 weeks out of the 66 weeks prior to the baby's due date. I earn £28k per year, so presently that is our joint income.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

Hell_Dans_Un_Handcart

Off the top of my head...

I don't think your income comes into it, and she's worked the 26 weeks. I think what you need to enquire about is if she can apply if a) she resigned (as opposed to was made redundant, or company closed) and b) whether she earned enough each week (there's a minimum but I can't remember what it is).

I would give your local council a ring and find out who to speak to; Jobcentres are useless with MA because they don't deal with it.

I sympathise - retail jobs are awful with pregnancy.

Js_Other_Half

Many congratulations!!

The job centre is the place that accepts the applications for MA - but they simply send them to a central processing office. I know there is a backlog and the phone is constantly engaged, so it may take some time for you to get an answer from them. There may be a welfare benefits office run by your local authority, or the CAB?

Hopefully someone else with more knowledge on this will be able to help.

elle_gee

This might help

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Expectingorbringingupchildren/DG_10018869