Maternity pay

[Firsttimemum281211]

Hi,I was wondering if anyone could help me regarding what maternity pay I'm entitled to?I'm currently working as a private nanny but after a meeting with the parents,I have decided to hand in my notice 2 weeks before my due date as it seems to be the best option for everyone.the internet doesn't seem very clear so would really appreciate any advice.Thank you!

[roxannacar]

i dont know much about this as I am employed but there is quite a lot of info online about maternity allowance which is for self employed people (which I assume you are) or if you recently stopped work.

gov.uk/maternity-allowance/...

THe other option is to check with jobcentreplus as they should have more info about it if you are stopping working.

[Firsttimemum281211 in reply to roxannacar]

Thank you.i have tried the website it's just a bit of a confusing situation.have been employed full time for 8 years but just the way it's happened I will be officially unemployed when I actually have the baby.was on hold for 22 mins earlier and just couldn't wait anymore but will have to try again tomorrow.Thank you for taking the time to reply though😊

[AlyM86 in reply to Firsttimemum281211]

My first daughter i found our I was pregnant a week after being made redundant because I'd worked 26weeks before getting pregnant even though I was unemployed when baby arrived in was entitled to full statutory maternity pay x

[Tetleyyyy]

If you're full time employed I wouldn't had your notice in. You'd be entitled to statutory maternity pay but you have to be employed for that I think and if you sort it you will be able to start that 2 weeks before your due date. If you're self employed then it is only maternity allowance you can get I think. I'd called citizens advice or ACAS or job centre for advice if I were you x

[Hidden]

I work for the dwp. Try a website called eentitledto.co.uk answer a series of questions and it will tell you what benefits you'll be entitled to. DWP won't give you benefit advice over the phone unfortunately.

[Tractorgirl11]

I would go on maternity leave instead of hand your notice in then you will be entitled to maternity pay from your employer for 9 months ( can't remember what it is in weeks) then you can have an additional 3 months no pay if you wish but I handed my notice in after the 9 months was up!

[Tractorgirl11]

Oh just reread and realised you are probably self employed so not sure how you go about paying yourself!! 😕

[Hfarm91]

You should be able to get 'maternity allowance' there's info on gov.uk website. Or just try a google search. I know your entitled when self employed, and I think if you've been in work within the last (not sure of length of time) then your also entitled, they work it out based on your NI payments.

There's quite a lot to read through and it's a bit complicated but defiantly worth it if you are entitled.

[Hfarm91]

gov.uk/maternity-allowance/...

[ChrisWest1983]

Friend of mine was a nanny in London employed by the family - she had maternity leave few months and they payed her whilst she was with baby at home for few months and then they made a great arrangement that worked for both sides - she was able to go back to work with her baby and look after other 4 kids.

Good luck sorting this out!x

[AlyM86]

as long as you have made class 2 national insurance contributions and have worked 26 weeks before falling pregnant you are entitled to statutory maternity pay.... I believe it's around £130 per week or 90% of your average income. If your are in uk go onto : gov.uk/pay-leave-for-parents

[EM24]

Late to this, I am employed but hadn't been working for the 26 weeks I needed to get SMP, in my current job and I get SMA from the gov. If you've been working 8 years and you correctly pay your taxes you'll have no problem. They base your entitlement on previous NI contributions, not whether you are currently employed or not, ie I actually ended up sending them in previous pay slips from my previous job not my current one!

The form is quite complicated, and you will need to sit down and go through it really carefully. It's also a little different for self employed to employed, so you mayneed to send them various different bits of documentation from me. I had to send them a MatB1 form from my GP/ Midwife/ Obs (proof you are pregnant in effect) and a certificate from my employer saying that they wouldn't pay me SMP and why, and four pay slips from within a two year period related to my due date. If you're self employed I suspect they will need similar things but proof of your self employment etc. They basically ask you to prove that you have been contributing enough to the system to take back out of it, and will not be getting money from elsewhere to.

You can fill it out from 26 weeks and I suggest getting it off early, as they are slow! Like someone above me said if you are really struggling, because they do make the forms hard, the job centre should help you. But Id first try downloading the form and forcing yourself to read through it a couple of times to get your head round it. Hope this is helpful.

[Thingandgeorge]

If you pay tax and NI you should get something called maternity allowance £130/ week via job centre for up to 9 months or 90% of your salary, whichever is lower. Tell your husband/boyfriend to ask for his workplace policy. You might be financially better off taking shared parental leave as some employers give more than the basic maternity allowance.

[MillyK]

Hi, I had a similar question and went to my Citizen's Advice Bureau, who were really helpful and gave me the info I needed. They might say they can't give you "advice" ie tell you what to do, BUT they can definitely give you the legal INFORMATION and help you work out your options so that you can make your own decision. It depends on your very specific circumstances as to whether you can get maternity pay or maternity allowance, which is normally a lesser amount and comes from the government rather than your [ex-] employer, and I think it might make a difference whether you leave voluntarily or are told to leave by your employer for some reason. If you are self employed then you'd be looking at maternity allowance not maternity pay - but if this family were the only people you were working for at least recently, it could be that you actually count as employed by them rather than self-employed, even if you both agreed you'd be self employed. Again, maybe worth asking the Citizen's Advice Bureau in your area. Is handing in your notice to them 'the best for everyone' or just the best for THEM? It might mean you lose out on much-needed money to support you and your new baby in the important first few months. Were they putting pressure on you in the meeting to make you hand in your notice? It's illegal to fire you, give you notice or pressure you to leave your job due to you being pregnant or having a baby. Good luck!