Maternity Allowance Eligibility

ktpie

I was wondering if anyone could help me with a query about maternity allowance.

I think I may be eligible for maternity allowance. I was on maternity leave for my first child for more than 26 weeks of the 66 weeks before the due date of my second, and I was earning more than £30 a week. I quit work at the end of my maternity leave in order to bring up my son then found out I was pregnant with our second child.

According to the information I've found on maternity allowance I fulfill the employment and earnings criteria to get maternity allowance but on the MA1 notes it says you need to fulfill this criteria and "you have stopped work to have your baby", and in the form it says "Have you stopped working for an employer to have your baby?" and "What date did you start your maternity leave?".

Does this mean I am not eligible for maternity allowance? I was pregnant when I quit work (although I didn't know I was at the time) and I was leaving in order to bring up a family (which would include any future children) but I didn't exactly stop work just to have this baby.

If I do say I stopped work to have the baby what would I put as when I started maternity leave? Would it be the date I started maternity leave for my first child or the date I quit work? If I don't say that I stopped work to have the baby then does this mean I wouldn't get any maternity allowance?

I'd be grateful if anyone can give me a hand on this, or point me in the direction of somewhere that could help me. I rang the jobcentre yesterday to try and get some questions answered but he didn't seem to know any more than me about it.

karenx

So you havnt been working recently? I dunno if you would qualify then. Were u working all of your test period?

ktpie

I was working (although on maternity leave) for 34 of the 66 weeks of the test period. It does say somewhere in the info that maternity leave for a previous child counts as working.

ktpie

I had another go at ringing the jobcentre and this time got put through to someone who knew about maternity allowance.
According to her I will be eligible as I fulfill the employment criteria. The fact that I didn't specifically finish working to have this baby doesn't matter.

In this case I think the notes for the MA1 form are a bit misleading.

Just thought I would update in case anyone else gets confused by this.

flea72

ok, we need dates - when did your mat leave end with your current child and when is child No2 due?

ktpie

flea72 wrote: »

ok, we need dates - when did your mat leave end with your current child and when is child No2 due?

It's OK, I think I've sorted it, thanks for your help!

kds1804

I have same confusion about this.
As I left my job earlier then my maternity leave starts.
So I am not eligible for my SMP.
And now I am confused what shall I write here - Yes or No.
As if Yes - it ask me date of my maternity leave - but I left my job so how can I write down the date.
And if no - asking me about self employment. which is not applicable to me.
Can you guide me what have you written Yes or no?

ktpie

Sorry, I haven't been online for a few days. I can't remember what I ended up putting. Try ringing the jobcentre, it took me a few calls to finally get put through to someone who knew what they were talking about.