is anyone here claiming maternity allowance? (not the statutory one)

[Gemma Simone]

Hi - I need some help as i'm getting thoroughly confused the more reading up I do!!!

I've started a small craft business and have been reading up whether I'm eligible for maternity allowance as we only earn a small amount. it looks like i would be eligible but maybe for only a small amount. i would also be eligible for a small earnings exemption certificate so i wouldn't have to pay national insurance. however, from what i've read it sounds like its better that i pay national insurance class 2 (at £2.40 a week) and I would then automatically be treated as earning £138 a week in my business and would therefore qualify for the standard rate of maternity allowance....

has anyone got any experience of this??? i would love to hear from anyone who's been through this process

 

[suzib76]

you are right hun, if you go for a small earmings cert you dont get full MA

 

[Gemma Simone]

Thanks. It just seemed too good to be true!!

 

[suzib76]

but if ypou dont go for the small earnings and pay your ni (which isnt a lot) you will qualify for the full rate of MA

and after that you could always apply for a small earnings

 

[Kimboowee]

I've never heard of small earning cert?
Is that just for self employed?

Im waiting for my MA forms off of HR so have no idea what Im entitled to!

 

[Dream.A.Dream]

I thought MA was paid at the lower of £112.30 (sorry might be last years figure)or what you usually earn.

If being Self Employed gets you that then I'm definitely starting a business before we TTC again! x

 

[Gemma Simone]

I thought MA was paid at the lower of £112.30 (sorry might be last years figure)or what you usually earn.

If being Self Employed gets you that then I'm definitely starting a business before we TTC again! x

i know, its definitely worth it!

£138 is what they assume you're earning if you pay NI and i think the rate is now 124 a week. not to be sniffed at!

 

[suzib76]

I thought MA was paid at the lower of £112.30 (sorry might be last years figure)or what you usually earn.

If being Self Employed gets you that then I'm definitely starting a business before we TTC again! x

not if you are self employed it gets you the full amount of MA regardless of earnings as long as you have paid your NI regularly and you havent got a small earnings certificate

 

[chysantheMUM]

It sounds good doesn't it but the reality is its not really. My business overheads (business premises rent & rates, amenities, stock, advertising etc etc) total an average of approx £170 a week. If I take maternity leave (which its looking like I can't afford to), that £138 won't even cover the weekly bills for the business, let alone give me something to live off. So tbh unless you work from home and have no running costs or have employees, than the MA's just not worth it. I imagine that I'll have no choice but to continue working throughout my pregnancy and beyond because taking leave will either put me in massive debt or out of business.

 

[sleonie]

It sounds good doesn't it but the reality is its not really. My business overheads (business premises rent & rates, amenities, stock, advertising etc etc) total an average of approx £170 a week. If I take maternity leave (which its looking like I can't afford to), that £138 won't even cover the weekly bills for the business, let alone give me something to live off. So tbh unless you work from home and have no running costs or have employees, than the MA's just not worth it. I imagine that I'll have no choice but to continue working throughout my pregnancy and beyond because taking leave will either put me in massive debt or out of business.

Just trying to think of ways around this, could you train someone up to run the business for you for a while? Even if they did a few hours per day rather than a full day?

 

[sleonie]

I will be claiming MA as I am self employed... I think the payments last for around 9 months as well. I think there is also an option to work for up to 10 hours whilst on MA, which will be helpful as well...

 

[Gemma Simone]

i run my business from my dining room table and have no running costs so fortunately its well worth it for me

 

[chysantheMUM]

Sleonie, I've looked at the option of getting someone in to cover for me and came to the conclusion it would be pretty difficult to do. I trained for 10 years to gain the knowledge, in my specialist area/s and it is unlikely that I'd be able to find someone who has specialised in the exact combination of therapies which I provide. I would probably need 3 different people to cover all the services.

On MA you are entitled to 10 KIT days (keeping in touch days) so I will have to make sure I earn as much as possible during those days. I'm thinking that if I take 5 weeks off, I can still put in 2 KIT days a week in, so it may be manageable but not ideal. I'm just going to have to keep my fingers crossed that I'm physically up to it

Regardless of the financial chaos it'll cause, I know its all going to be worth it in the end and I'm in a much better place financialy now than I was with my first born, so I'm not going to let this minor detail spoil everything