Entitlement for pregnancy/Moving to Germany

carolissosmiley_2

Hi All,

Please can anyone shed some light, I am posting this for a friend.

She is married and will be moving out to Germany in February to join her husband who is currently serving in the army.

My friend is pregnant, 9 weeks at the moment with a due date of 4 Sept 2010, she is taking voluntary redundancy from our employer and leaves next week.

She has been in touch with jobcentre in UK who have been next to useless and can't seem to advise as to what to do and what she may be entitled to.

As she will not qualify for SMP will she be able to get MA? Would this be done from the uk or is there a seperate system set up with the armed forces?

She has been told by jobcentre that she will need to sign on in Germany, would this be correct?

Has anyone been through this or can anyone please guide my friend in the right direction.

Thanks for now

Any suggestions welcome.

karenx

Im not sure if she would qualify for MA as you need to be working for 26 weeks out of the 66 weeks before the due date.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Expectingorbringingupchildren/DG_10018869
Will she be staying permanently in germany?

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there

If I was you I would post this over on the board set up for the armed forces too... there should be lots of people who have been in the same situation. Sorry I can't help as even though Im an army wife we don't have any children yet..

sammyjammy

The fact her husband is in the Army and posted overseas makes no difference to what she is entitled to. The usual rules will apply re SMP and MA as forces overseas continue to pay UK tax and receive appropraite UK benefits.

Oldernotwiser

You mention signing on; is your friend going to be actively seeking work and claiming JSA (or trying to) before she leaves?

carolissosmiley_2

karenx wrote: »

Im not sure if she would qualify for MA as you need to be working for 26 weeks out of the 66 weeks before the due date.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Expectingorbringingupchildren/DG_10018869
Will she be staying permanently in germany?

Hi, Thanks for all your replies, I think she will fall into this qualifying period as up until next week she has been in permanent employment.

She will be staying in germany for the forseeable future as that is where her husband is posted. She finishes work next week and then moves to Germany the week after.

It was suggested that she goes onto jobseekers allowance and she is obviously happy to look for employment but not going to be that easy when you are pregnant and she has the added problem of starting a new life in a new country. I think they suggested JA to keep her NI up to date.

We have also posted onto the armed forces page so fingers crossed someone is in a similar situation

Thanks all