Statutory maternity pay AND maternity allowance?

Dinah93

Really hope someone can help. I read on these forums a few weeks ago that if you have two jobs you get two lots of SMP. I run my own business as well as having a 9-5, does this mean I could claim maternity allowance as well as smp? Would love to hear from anyone who knows about this or has done it.

immoral_angeluk

You can't claim MA if you are entitled to SMP. Once of the thing you have to provide as part of the MA claim is a form (MATB1 or something like that?) which states you aren't eligible for SMP.

flutterby_lil

You have to provide your MATB1 at work, not sure what this states though but you can't claim both. One or the other. I used to have two jobs but wasn't eligible for both. This time I can claim the half pay from work plus SMP but one is offset against the other.

Plans_all_plans

I asked a similar question not long ago. My understanding from responses on that thread is that if you have 2 jobs you can claim SMP from both. Not SMP from one and MA from the other.

donteatthat

Plans_all_plans wrote: »

I asked a similar question not long ago. My understanding from responses on that thread is that if you have 2 jobs you can claim SMP from both. Not SMP from one and MA from the other.

This is correct.

kavics17

Yes, that's correct (I mean you can claim SMP from 2 jobs but not SMP and MA together). I have 2 jobs and I can certainly claim 2 sets of SMP from both.

Plans_all_plans

But if you're self employed, it won't make any sense to claim SMP from yourself though, will it? I suppose it would depend on how profitable your own business is as to whether it's worth it. Might be something to talk to your accountant about?

pinkclouds

Plans_all_plans wrote: »

But if you're self employed, it won't make any sense to claim SMP from yourself though, will it? I suppose it would depend on how profitable your own business is as to whether it's worth it. Might be something to talk to your accountant about?

You don't claim MA from yourself - it's a benefit paid by the government i.e free money. So long as you've been paying your NI stamp, you can claim MA (if relevant) even if your self-employed turnover was 1 quid.

However, as the others have said, you can't claim MA if you're entitled to SMP.

Plans_all_plans

Hi pinkclouds, I realise that (see my post number 4) but because she has a company of her own then I meant she may be able to claim SMP from her company (if that makes sense), because she def won't get MA from the govt. That's why I said it would depend on the size of her own business as to whether it's worth her while and why I said to see an accountant if she's not just got a one man band enterprise.

EDIT: I've done a search and if you are a sole trader then you can't get SMP, but if you have started a Limited Company then you can claim SMP through the company, so it will depend on your business set up OP.