maternity pay/allowance confusion (2025)

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carlamagee Posts: 1,789 Forumite

5 June 2009 at 8:10PM in

hi there.

i am 7 months pregnant, and due to sickness in my pregnancy i took my holidays and then early maternity leave (starting 22nd may).
i recently recieved a letter from my employer stating that I was not entitled to statutory maternity pay from them due to not earning enough, so sent me a form to apply for maternity allowance!

(little bit of background: I have worked for the company for 7 years, with 9months off for maternity leave in 2006-2007. Previous to my first time off for maternity leave I was working fulltime, 32 hours per week, and when my maternity leave ended - july 2007, i was only able to go back to work part-time - 16 hours per week)

so, yesterday i visited my social security office to sort out my maternity allowance, only to be told that i wasnt entitled to that either, so they give me a form to apply for Income Support.
This is really confusing to me...i will lose out on my working tax credit if i claim income support, but even though I am not actually working, I am not unemployed!
Can anyone help me to gather my thoughts on this!??

Carla-Farla!!

Mummy to Katie (27.11.07) and Christopher (05.08.09) ♥♥♥

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alwaysonthego_2 Posts: 8,447 Forumite

5 June 2009 at 8:14PM

Are you a single mother?
How much was you earning each week?
carlamagee Posts: 1,789 Forumite

5 June 2009 at 8:19PM

yes, i am a single parent.
because i was off sick etc my pay varied -- i got paid monthly and got paid between £350-£400 per month, I didnt earn enough to pay any tax.

Carla-Farla!!
Mummy to Katie (27.11.07) and Christopher (05.08.09) ♥♥♥
dookar Posts: 1,654 Forumite

5 June 2009 at 8:23PM

carlamagee wrote: »
yes, i am a single parent.
because i was off sick etc my pay varied -- i got paid monthly and got paid between £350-£400 per month, I didnt earn enough to pay any tax.
Either you have been misadvised or I'm missing something.
Take the week in which the baby is due. Go back 66 weeks.
In that period were you employed for 26 weeks? And did you earn at least £30 per week in at least 13 weeks?
carlamagee Posts: 1,789 Forumite

5 June 2009 at 8:26PM

dookar wrote: »
Either you have been misadvised or I'm missing something.
Take the week in which the baby is due. Go back 66 weeks.
In that period were you employed for 26 weeks? And did you earn at least £30 per week in at least 13 weeks?
i have been employed continuously with the same company for the past 7 years - took a period of 9 months off for maternity leave from mid october 2006 - mid july 2007 and returned to work mid july 2007, and have worked part time from then until last month when this period of maternity leave started. if you follow?! definitely earned more than £30 a week in last 13 weeks.

Carla-Farla!!
Mummy to Katie (27.11.07) and Christopher (05.08.09) ♥♥♥
dookar Posts: 1,654 Forumite

5 June 2009 at 8:29PM

Then I don't see how you don't qualify for Maternity Allowance.
Did you claim and receive a decision, or were you advised you would have no entitlement?
alwaysonthego_2 Posts: 8,447 Forumite

5 June 2009 at 8:32PM

dookar wrote: »
Then I don't see how you don't qualify for Maternity Allowance.
Did you claim and receive a decision, or were you advised you would have no entitlement?
I would agree!
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/life/benefits/benefits_for_families_and_children.htm#benefits_for_maternity
Who can get Maternity Allowance
You can get Maternity Allowance if you have been working recently or you have stopped working to have a child. You must have been working for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before you are due to give birth. It does not matter if these weeks are split up, or if they are not all for the same employer. You can claim Maternity Allowance if you do not qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay, as long as you have been earning at least £30 a week on average. This can be from employed work or self-employed work. Maternity Allowance does not depend on national insurance contributions.
carlamagee Posts: 1,789 Forumite

5 June 2009 at 8:33PM

i was told that i wouldnt be entitled to it, so they took back the maternity allowance form and gave me an income support form to fill in.
i dont really understand it at all!?
I have looked at it, and i will lose out on my working tax credit, which is approx £70 a week, and the highest band of income support that i could get is £50.95 -- so i will be losing out on £20 a week, which is quite a lot for me.

Carla-Farla!!
Mummy to Katie (27.11.07) and Christopher (05.08.09) ♥♥♥
alwaysonthego_2 Posts: 8,447 Forumite

5 June 2009 at 8:35PM

carlamagee wrote: »
i was told that i wouldnt be entitled to it, so they took back the maternity allowance form and gave me an income support form to fill in.
.
Who told you that you were not entitled?
dookar Posts: 1,654 Forumite

5 June 2009 at 8:36PM

carlamagee wrote: »
i was told that i wouldnt be entitled to it, so they took back the maternity allowance form and gave me an income support form to fill in.
i dont really understand it at all!?
I have looked at it, and i will lose out on my working tax credit, which is approx £70 a week, and the highest band of income support that i could get is £50.95 -- so i will be losing out on £20 a week, which is quite a lot for me.
Somebody is working outside of their remit. You have a legal right to make a claim and receive a fully appealable decision on that claim.
I would complain and insist your claim is properly assessed.
carlamagee Posts: 1,789 Forumite

5 June 2009 at 8:38PM

alwaysonthego wrote: »
Who told you that you were not entitled?
when i went to the social security office, the lady i spoke to asked her co-worker, and he said that i wouldnt be entitled to maternity allowance, to take a form for income support instead but to ensure that i cancelled my claim for income support when i retunred to work after my maternity leave period ended.

Carla-Farla!!
Mummy to Katie (27.11.07) and Christopher (05.08.09) ♥♥♥