Maternity Allowance for the self-employed

ClaraSolis

Hi, I am currently 25 weeks pregnant with our first child, and I have some questions about Maternity Allowance. I work as a self-employed translator and have done so since 2021, after losing my employment due to Covid. 

I have looked into applying for Maternity Allowance, but I am confused about what I am allowed to do during this time. Am I allowed to do any type of work while receiving Maternity Allowance? I believe you are allowed 10 'Keeping in Touch' days, so I assume you are allowed to earn income on those days?

The advice I found online says to keep records of any work done, but I am unsure what type of record is required. My work is quite irregular, and I don't know in advance when I will be working or how much I will earn. I usually get a few small projects during the week, which often has to be finished by the next day, so I can't easily plan when to take those 10 KIT days. Some of my work comes in via email, other work is done through the client's website/translation platform.

I work for a few different clients and translation agencies. My problem is if I don't keep in touch with them and work on projects when they come in, I will basically lose those clients and they will simply look for another translator. I would lose all the business I have spent the last 4 years building up.

Can anyone provide more info on how the record-keeping for the KIT days should be done, and if I am allowed to earn any income at all? 

Thank you!

Savvy_Sue

I don't think KIT applies to the self-employed, because the intention is to allow E'er and E'er to KIT with each other. 

You don't have employers, you have customers or clients.

Can Maternity Alliance or Pregnant then Screwed help with the question as to whether you can do any work?

Grumpy_chap

I was of the understanding that you have to be an employee to be eligible for SMP:
https://www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/eligibility

Is the OP self-employed sole-trader or via own Ltd Co.?

ClaraSolis

Grumpy_chap said:

I was of the understanding that you have to be an employee to be eligible for SMP:
https://www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/eligibility

Is the OP self-employed sole-trader or via own Ltd Co.?

Maternity Allowance is different from SMP and is for those not eligible for SMP (such as the self-employed):
https://www.gov.uk/maternity-allowance

I am registered as a self-employed sole-trader. 

ClaraSolis

Savvy_Sue said:

I don't think KIT applies to the self-employed, because the intention is to allow E'er and E'er to KIT with each other. 

You don't have employers, you have customers or clients.

Can Maternity Alliance or Pregnant then Screwed help with the question as to whether you can do any work?

The website maternityaction.org.uk seems to imply that KIT days do apply to the self-employed, but I want to make sure that this is correct. I also can't find much information on how I should keep track of this or provide records to the DWP. 



I also can't find out if you can apply for MA online... it seems you have to print out or request the paper form and then post it to the DWP, which seems very old-fashioned. 

Grumpy_chap

ClaraSolis said:

Grumpy_chap said:

I was of the understanding that you have to be an employee to be eligible for SMP:
https://www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/eligibility

Is the OP self-employed sole-trader or via own Ltd Co.?

Maternity Allowance is different from SMP and is for those not eligible for SMP (such as the self-employed):
https://www.gov.uk/maternity-allowance

I am registered as a self-employed sole-trader. 

Thank you - sorry that I was mistaken.

ClaraSolis

Grumpy_chap said:

ClaraSolis said:

Grumpy_chap said:

I was of the understanding that you have to be an employee to be eligible for SMP:
https://www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/eligibility

Is the OP self-employed sole-trader or via own Ltd Co.?

Maternity Allowance is different from SMP and is for those not eligible for SMP (such as the self-employed):
https://www.gov.uk/maternity-allowance

I am registered as a self-employed sole-trader. 

Thank you - sorry that I was mistaken.

That's okay, I didn't know about the difference myself either until recently.

Savvy_Sue

ClaraSolis said:

Savvy_Sue said:

I don't think KIT applies to the self-employed, because the intention is to allow E'er and E'er to KIT with each other. 

You don't have employers, you have customers or clients.

Can Maternity Alliance or Pregnant then Screwed help with the question as to whether you can do any work?

The website maternityaction.org.uk seems to imply that KIT days do apply to the self-employed, but I want to make sure that this is correct. I also can't find much information on how I should keep track of this or provide records to the DWP. 



I also can't find out if you can apply for MA online... it seems you have to print out or request the paper form and then post it to the DWP, which seems very old-fashioned. 

I think, from looking at https://www.gov.uk/maternity-allowance/report-a-change-of-circumstances, that you'd have to report a Change of Circumstances. That page says you can report changes by phone, or phone for advice, so I'd phone and ask them how and in what time-frame they want you to report KIT days. For example, do they want you to phone and let them know every single time, OR are they happy if you report per four week payment period?

Also note that they talk about 10 KIT days, but they mean 10 KIT occasions - you can't work 2 half days and call it 1 KIT day. So if you tend to work short periods, see if you can bunch several onto one day - baby permitting!  

If it's any comfort, I don't believe there's any particular procedure for reporting KIT days as an employer: there's the same limit of 10, and I just used to pay my colleagues for that day's work and keep an internal record of how many they'd had. No-one ever asked me to 'prove' how many someone had been paid for ... Google does not contradict me. 

Savvy_Sue

Grumpy_chap said:

ClaraSolis said:

Grumpy_chap said:

I was of the understanding that you have to be an employee to be eligible for SMP:
https://www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/eligibility

Is the OP self-employed sole-trader or via own Ltd Co.?

Maternity Allowance is different from SMP and is for those not eligible for SMP (such as the self-employed):
https://www.gov.uk/maternity-allowance

I am registered as a self-employed sole-trader. 

Thank you - sorry that I was mistaken.

So was I - I knew about MA but struggled to get my head around KIT days while on it, but I guess it's only fair! 

sheramber

https://maternityaction.org.uk/advice/maternity-and-parental-rights-for-self-employed-parents/#:~:text=If%20you%20are%20self%2Demployed%20you%20are%20not%20able%20to,when%20you%20have%20a%20baby.

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Will I lose Maternity Allowance if I work for more than ten days during my MA period?