Maternity Allowance - Can I claim? Help plz

[Deleted User]

Hi All

Posting under DP's name.

Cant make sense of direct.gov info...

I have been employed since October 2010, have been off sick since start of July 2011. Baby is due on 21st July 2012, can anyone work out if I can claim maternity allowance, my average earnings were £48 per week and I have no sick pay entitlement.

Thanks in advance

[Deleted User]

You might get Maternity Allowance if:

• you're employed, but not eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay
• you're registered self-employed and paying Class 2 National Insurance contributions (NICs), or hold a Small Earnings Exception certificate
• you have very recently been employed or self-employed

You may be eligible if:

• you've been employed and/or self-employed for at least 26 weeks in your 'test period' (66 weeks up to and including the week before the week your baby is due) - part weeks count as full weeks
• you earned £30 a week averaged over any 13 weeks in your test period.

If you are stil not fit work and won't be returning between now and July then the answer is no.