Been made redundant, now what?

xxxpinkladyxxx

I opted for voluntary redundancy and today found out that it had been accepted. Since I left school 16 years ago, I have never not worked. Is there anything I need to do re things like national insurance? I'm 21 weeks pregnant so I can't really sign on as I'll be claiming Maternity Allowance soon. Will that cover my NI contributions? I actually didn't even know you still made NI contributions if you didn't work so I really am clueless.

Also, I'm currently on maternity leave (was due to go back to work - albeit briefly - next month). They said that they will send paperwork to me this week and draw up a compromise agreement. Will I need to actually go into my work for any meetings or will they just do it via post/email?

marlot

You'll need a solicitor to guide you through the compromise agreement. The lawyer's fee is paid by your employer. I'm not aware of any need for you to attend any meetings.

Don't know how the job seekers/maternity allowances work in this situation, sorry. You'd normally be allowed to claim contribution-based jobseekers allowance for a maximum of 6 months. It might be worth delaying your claim until after the birth?