matenity allowance while self-employed

princess-of-plastic

Hey people,

Just wanted to run somthing by you to see if my thinking is correct. Any advice would be appreciated!

I have my own business for which i have a small earnings exemption certificate for NI. I am 18 weeks pregnant. If i apply for maternity allowance with the certificate i will only get £27/week. If i cancel my small earnings certificate and pay class 2 NI contributions for 13 weeks and then claim i will get full MA. Does this sound correct?

Also can anyone tell me how class 2 NI is paid? weekly/monthly/quarterly?

Thanks in advance! pop

stazi

Correct. The SEEC is false economy. Pay the Class 2 NIC at approx £2.15?pw to HMRC asap. Class 2 NIC will also go towards your State Pension and ESA (State sick pay).

princess-of-plastic

If i had know this at the time i wouldnt have bothered with the seec lol, o well, ignorance is no excuse. Thanks!

stazi

You can pay Class 2 vouluntary for past periods if you want. You can ask HMRC to bill you, as you will be in 'profit' with your MA payments.

princess-of-plastic

thanks for the info! i will look into it x

skintchick

Is this true??!!! I have just applied for MA with my exemption cert, but I only applied for that in January this year. how can I sort this out? I need the money to be the full amount of MA!

Oh I HATE the bl00dy benefits system

stazi

You can pay Class 2 voluntary for past periods if you want, and have a SEEC.
As I said, the SEEC is false ecomomy, as the Class 2 stamp is only £2.15? pw. Ask HMRC to bill you, as you will be in 'profit' with your MA payments. Ask JCP NOT to decide your MA claim yet until you've paid the Class 2 NIC.

Becles

The problem is if you have a SEEC and pay voluntary Class 2 payments, you still only get the £30 a week.

I had a SEEC and was paying and was advised to get rid of the SEEC before I started trying for the baby to get the full MA. I'm not sure how it works if you are already pregnant and pay back payments though.

princess-of-plastic

I noticed on the info from jcp is says that weeks which are covered by a SEEC you are classed as earning £30 even if you have also paid a class to NI for that week. thats why im getting rid of the SEEC and paying 13 NI payments before i claim. x

skintchick

But nothing I have read on MA says this. I am crying over this, I really am, as I have mostly only been self-employed as a sideline and have also worked full-time and paid proper NI all my life.

I don;t know what to do - the baby is due this month and I have already sent in my application.

Who do I phone? Is it possible to sort this out as for my test period I was actually out of work cos I got made redundant.

princess-of-plastic

hey hun. says this on the notes in the application for ma -

If you are registered as self-employed and hold a
Small Earnings Exception certificate, you will be
treated as having earnings of £30 at the end of
each week covered by the certificate. This applies
even if you have paid a Class 2 National Insurance

contribution for a week covered by the certificate.

Its the test period they go by, were you only self employed during the test period with a SEEC?
pop x