Can I back pay NI contributions to increase Maternity Allowance?

upsizer

I am about to claim Maternity Allowance, but believe that as I have not paid NI for sometime, I may only be entitled to a very reduced amount.

Does anyone know if I can back pay NI (think I need to pay for 26 weeks to qualify for full amount) and if so, who do I ring and what do I ask to do/say?

Sorry for being dim, but struggling to find info about it.

Thanks

dookar

No you can't

sassygirl_2

i have never paid NI's and i got MA at £100 per week

sano

Yes you can.
I have just been through this absolute nightmare myself. From my experience there is nobody who will give you a straight answer - I rang every helpline going, everyone passes the buck onto someone else and nobody gives you an answer:mad::mad:. I ended up sitting in in a tax help office for 3 hours in tears out of pure frustration with not getting a straight answer from anyone. Luckily the nice lady lady there took pity on me and my bump so between her guesses and my own research on the web we worked it out! - basically I had been on a small earnings certificate this year and hadn't paid any NI at all, so I rang up NI helpline and told them I wanted to pay voluntary contributions. I never found out exactly how many you have had to have paid, so I just paid all that would have been due from April 09 (to be on the safe side) just before I applied for MA.
NB: payments must have cleared etc before you send app for MA
Hope this is making sense...
Anyway, I paid the NI's sent off the MA form and finally started receiving the full MA today:T Hope this helps, I know the small earnings cert is different in your situation but in theory I would think you should be able to do the same....good luck with it:rolleyes: