Maternity allowance= working single parent to be

tezzasmif

Hi
I have been working part time for over 26 weeks and fulfill the conditions to receive maternity allowance but not SMP from employer. My baby is due shortly & I am unfortunately about to be a single parent- so will reluctantly need to claim Income Support.
Please can anyone verify to me whether I will receive Maternity Allowance if on Income Support as having spoken to the job centre it sounds like I will be entitled but they will basically take all of my maternity allowance back off me?
Im livid as I work in a strenuous job & have stayed as long as possible through pregnancy in order to receive M.A, as a single parent to be (through no choice of my own) I work but feel Im being treated like a benefit scrounger
Advice will be much appreciated

Loopy_Girl

Why are you livid? If you hadn't been entitled to MA then you would automatically go on to IS.

You will get MA and then when that runs out move on to IS - you won't and never would have got both.

dtc04

why do you need to get income support?
you should get ma, child tax credits, working tax credits and possibly hb/ctc for the first 39 weeks and also child benefit and maintenance. This will be alot more than is.

When you return to work you will qualify for the childcare element of working tax credit, as wells as the tax credits you were already receiving.

shell_542

As rubbish as it sounds, that is correct. It doesn't give details of how much it is reduced by ...
Effect on benefits or tax credits

Tax Credits and Disability Living Allowance are not affected by Maternity Allowance.
But while you're getting Maternity Allowance and any of the following benefits - they may be reduced or stopped:

• Employment and Support Allowance
• Carer's Allowance
• Bereavement Benefits
• Income Support
• Jobseeker's Allowance will stop

You will also get tax credits, child benefit and can claim child support from your ex, although again, you only get to keep up to £20 a week of that before any extra affects your IS and it is reduced.

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shell_542

Loopy_Girl wrote: »

Why are you livid? If you hadn't been entitled to MA then you would automatically go on to IS.

You will get MA and then when that runs out move on to IS - you won't and never would have got both.

You can get Income Support when working, so the same applies while claiming MA ... it depends on how much you earn and doesn't it?

karenx

You cant get income support as a single parent if you are working

shell_542

karenx wrote: »

You cant get income support as a single parent if you are working

I thought income support is also paid to those earning a low income and working less than 16 hours a week (as well as unemployed) ... it certainly is for couples, so why wouldn't a single parent get it?

DX2

karenx wrote: »

You cant get income support as a single parent if you are working

Karen you can get IS if you work under 16 hours per week and your income is low.

OP maternity allowance is more than IS, you will get this then once it ends you will be transferred over to IS.

Loopy_Girl

shell_542 wrote: »

You can get Income Support when working, so the same applies while claiming MA ... it depends on how much you earn and doesn't it?

But her MA would never be less than IS...it's a Government benefit so there are thresholds hence she would not be entitled to claim IS whilst she is claiming her MA.

Loopy_Girl

DX2 wrote: »

Karen you can get IS if you work under 16 hours per week and your income is low.

Yeah but you only get to keep £20 and then it is deducted £ for £ when you are a lone parent. So whether you work 4 hours or 15 hours, you would only benefit from an extra £20 on top of your IS.