Maternity Allowance

LeWeasel_2

I found the following article on maternity allowance but I'm still pretty confused.
[FONT=&quot]http://www.dwp.gov.uk/advisers/ni17a/ma/index.asp[/FONT]

I'm in my 22nd week of pregnancy. I left work last week for a few reasons. I was only working a few hours a week - usually around ten making just under £50 a week but it was only cash in hand. I don't think my employer was paying NI contributions for us either.

I'm on the waiting list for a job after passing the interview but unless I get that job I doubt I'll be able to get one anywhere else before having the baby so my plan is to go on JSA until something happens.

What I'm wondering is will I be able to get Maternity Allowance if I've been on jobseekers for the last four months of pregnancy? I was working every week up until this week but I can't really prove this.

Any help would be grand!

Also, forgot to add, I was working that job while I was in sixth form but I quit around Feb time. I don't know when my official leaving date was but would that make a difference to my eligibility?

clairec79

The schooling wouldn't make a difference if you were still in school now and had been working every Saturday you'd still get MA if you'd worked for 26 of the relevant 66 weeks

I think you would have a problem getting MA unless you could prove you were working, sounds like you weren't earning enough to pay NI contributions or tax (assuming this was your only job) - I wonder if you could get a letter from your old employer saying you worked every week between X and Y dates, earning X amount per week, that may count as proof if you have no pay slips

Becles

You won't be entitled to SMP as it's only payable to employed women.

To claim maternity allowance, you would need to submit payslips to prove you were earning, but unfortunately you don't have any proof of earning.

I think all you can claim is income support, but that depends on the income of your other half.