anyone with experience claiming maternity allowance?

emlou2009

i've got my first baby on the way due march 6th, and as i changed jobs when i was 3 weeks pregnant without knowing i was pregnant work couldnt pay me SMP and gave me what i needed to claim MA. i took them to the jobcentre place (a lovely experience - beer cans overflowing the bin and security guards escorted people out twice in the few minutes i was there!!)
they told me i had to wait until i was actually on maternity leave to claim, they wouldnt even give me the forms to fill in and have ready. the day i went on maternity leave i went in to get the forms and was told they dont keep them and to call for the forms to be sent through, it took 8 days to get the forms through my door, i sent them off that same day which was now 10 days ago, i called today to see how they were getting on and i was told that there is a 6 week back log, they've had my forms a week and i cant expect them to even look at my forms for another 5 weeks! the man on the phone also told me that claims have gone up 20% and that its all us womens fault and that we should just stop having babies and life would be easier all round!!!!!

i cant understand why if it takes so long they dont allow you to put your claim in earlier, it all seems a bit crazy to me! has anyone else had any experience claiming it, are they actually likely to take this long? how quick are they at issuing payments once they've looked at the forms? at this rate i'll have a baby thats already a month old before i hear if i can even claim MA, not to mention the whole bill/rent paying issue!

Rosie2404

Hi
I claimed Maternity allowance with my last baby and you have not been informed correctly (unless it has changed in the last 18 months!). I started claiming 11 weeks before my son was due as it is in place of any pay you would get when you are on maternity leave.
I have just looked on the DWP website http://www.dwp.gov.uk/advisers/ni17a/smp/smp_9.asp and it says that you can claim from 11 weeks before baby is due so it hasnt changed. You can even apply online there.
I would keep chasing them and tell them it is putting you in financial difficulty because you were given the wrong information in the first place!
You could also try claiming the sure start maternity grant if you are on a low income.
Hope this is a bit of help.

shellsuit

Rosie is right, you can apply 11 weeks before babies EDD, so someone has given you the wrong advice - stupid gits!

I'm due 9th May and I've got my forms here to post off ~ I just did mine online and downloaded them.

emlou2009

i thought it was 11 weeks before EDD cos thats the earliest you can leave work - you dont tend to question the suit behind the desk, well i didnt before now but after reading a few things people have written on here i think i'll start!! i think i have a face that says "tell me the wrong thing and then look at me like i'm stupid when i ask you about it again!"
we'll be able to get the surestart grant once we're getting tax credits but we need a baby before we can get those! i'm so annoyed, the only thing i can think of that we can do is ask our landlord to wait a couple of weeks for rent luckily i'll get two weeks wages at the end of this week for holiday pay which will cover a few outgoings, its the month after i'm worried about! stupid people!

emlou2009

shellsuit wrote: »

Rosie is right, you can apply 11 weeks before babies EDD, so someone has given you the wrong advice - stupid gits!

I'm due 9th May and I've got my forms here to post off ~ I just did mine online and downloaded them.

quick quick send them off, they might have a lunch break or something and get behind another month lol!

Rosie2404

You can get the sure start maternity grant 11 weeks before baby is due too as it is meant to be to buy stuff for the baby. Click on the link below and it has all the info:

http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Customers/WorkingAgeBenefits/Dev_013950.xml.html

Take care

shellsuit

emlou2009 wrote: »

quick quick send them off, they might have a lunch break or something and get behind another month lol!

They'll be going off tomorrow hopefully :rotfl: :rotfl: (I need my boss to sign a letter for me first so gonna get it done in the morning)

Hope it doesn't take too long for you to get it Em xx