Maximising income - Mystery Shopping? Surveys?

Becles

rachelja wrote:

I've only looked at MA briefly. I think it said you could still get it if you had a small earnings exemption form. But you only got an average of your earnings as long as it's over £30? Which in my case won't be that much....

If you have the small earnings certificate, they take your income as £30 a week and you get 90% of that as benefits, so you'll get £27 a week MA.

If you think you might need to claim maternity allowances, it's worth not having the certificate and paying your £2.10 class 2 stamps, as then you'll get the full allowance of £108.85 a week.

I've read up on it, as I need to claim it later this year

pudding06

Yes - thats wjat I was thinking - dont claim the small earning exemption and just pay your NI class 2's.

I've just been in touch with them and I need to write to them and say I want to pay the class 2's and not claim the exemption.

I think I may need some time off in the future - I just need to pluck up the courage to go to the doctors.

pudds

Dormouse

Becles wrote:

If you think you might need to claim maternity allowances, it's worth not having the certificate and paying your £2.10 class 2 stamps, as then you'll get the full allowance of £108.85 a week.

Becles, can you explain this to me - it's the only bit I don't get.

It says on the website, "MA is paid at a standard rate or at a rate equal to 90% of your average gross weekly earnings. You will get whichever is the lower rate."

Does that mean that everyone who pays NI gets the £108 and those who don't get 90% of £30, or only those people paying NI who earn over £120 a week (ish) get £108, as that would be 90% -ish. I.e. if your average earnings are, say £50, or £70, would you get 90% of that or the full whack?

Does that make sense? And how do they work out your average earnings per week anyway?

(And don't ask me why I'm so interested )

newleaf07

Hi
I amnew here, but just read your post.
I was in a situation where I was pregnant and in order to qualify for MA I had towork 26 weeks which meant I was working until my due date (fell pregnant whilst backpacking hence not working).

My understanding is that you are automatically entitled to MA at 108 or whatever it is as long as you meet the criteria of at least £30 per week.

The small earnings exemption certificate is completely different, even though I work I have one for my self employment as I dont earn enough from the business, however all it means is that you dont earn enough to pay NI contribututions and the govt pay if for you. So when applying for MA they will ask for your small earnings exemption and you will still qualify.

I have it and my small business so if I ever lost my job and was pregnant I would never be in ths situation I was in before not knowing whether I would qualify or not.

check this out

Maternity Allowance
This benefit is dealt with by Jobcentre Plus.

Please read the following carefully. There are changes to Maternity Allowance (MA) that apply to women with babies due on or after 1 April 2007.


What is it
MA provides you with some money to help you take time off work for the birth of your baby.

Paid to women who are not entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay.

MA is not subject to tax and National Insurance
Can I get it?
Are you:

Employed - employed or recently changed employer and you cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay

Self-employed - registered with HM Revenue & Customs and paying Class 2 National Insurance contributions or hold a Small Earnings Exception certificate

Not Employed but have recently been employed and/or self-employed

If YES to any, claim MA.

Sorry for the longpost.

tiger.gov.uk is also good.

Thanks alot and congratulations! :j

Becles

It's a complicated subjet - took me a while to understand!

I'm not sure how it works if you are claiming because you are employed but can't get SMP (like if you've just changed jobs).

If you are self employed, you don't need to prove your earnings and it works as follows:

If you do not have a small earnings certificate and pay Class 2 contributions, you are treated as having a weekly income of £117.78 and your benefit is 90% of this, which is where the £108.85 a week comes from.

If you do have a certificate, you are reated as having £30 a week income and the benefit payable is 90% of this, which is £27 a week.

Even if you pay voluntary class 2 with a certificate, you will still be only treated as earning £30 a week and will only get the £27 a week in benefit payments.

This bit:

It says on the website, "MA is paid at a standard rate or at a rate equal to 90% of your average gross weekly earnings. You will get whichever is the lower rate."

applies to employed people claiming MA, as their claim goes on the actual amount you earn.

Hope that helps!

Mandles

more pubs on retail eyes.


Also has anyone done the OLD ORLEANS????? on any of the compnies lately as i love this job and wondered if it had switched comanies? pleasepm me if you cant post.


many thanks

Becles

newleaf07 wrote:

The small earnings exemption certificate is completely different, even though I work I have one for my self employment as I dont earn enough from the business, however all it means is that you dont earn enough to pay NI contribututions and the govt pay if for you. So when applying for MA they will ask for your small earnings exemption and you will still qualify.

I have it and my small business so if I ever lost my job and was pregnant I would never be in ths situation I was in before not knowing whether I would qualify or not.

Sorry to put a dampner on things, the small earnings certificate does not mean the government pay your stamps for you. It just means you are exempt from paying them.

In the case of maternity allowance, you will only get £27 a week as you hold the certificate which may not be enough to live on.

If you are sick, as you haven't paid any NI, you may not be able to claim incapacity benefit for 26 weeks, which is a long time to be without an income.

Your class 2 payments also help to claim other benefits, and go towards your state pension. Your certificate doesn't cover you for this.

Personally I think £2.10 a week is a small price to pay for peace of mind, so I've paid mine all the time I've been self employed, so I know I can claim things should I need to do so.

Dormouse

Thanks newleaf and Becles - that's a lot clearer now and great news.

System

I can't get past the section:
"The weekly rate is based on your average weekly earnings.

MA is paid at a standard rate or at a rate equal to 90% of your average gross weekly earnings. You will get whichever is the lower rate.

The standard rate is £108.85 from 10 April 2006. "


So this suggest it does not matter if I have an exemption cert or not. 90% of my earnings will always be lower than £108.85. When I got SMP that was the way it worked.

magentacafc

Did anyone else have a dine cancelled with the Mystery Dining Co today or was it just me?

Gutted, been looking forward to this one as we are very skint after Xmas!