Is it possible I'm not entitled to ANY maternity pay??

[Faerie]

So today I got a letter from work saying I wouldn't get SMP. I only started there on 1 November, when I was 9 or 10 weeks so I guess that's fair enough. However now I've been looking at maternity allowance online and it seems to be saying I'm not entitled to MA either! Previous to this job I was working abroad, paying taxes in France and so because I've not got the 66 week "test" period I won't get anything.

Anyone know much about this? I'm going to try and speak to someone at the job centre tomorrow.

It sucks, because we would've just left and gone back to France as soon as the baby is born and not had to worry about money, but because our baby is going to need an op and we don't know how many weeks/months we'll be in hospital this is a real problem. Starting to wish I'd never moved back here - the UK sucks you dry!

 

[Shifter]

That sucks. But as you were paying taxes in France and not here then you have to kind of see it from the UK government's perspective.

I hope you manage to sort something out.

 

[JayleighAnn]

I'd just go JCP babe, maybe you'd be entitled to something else? Like income support?

 

[Arcanegirl]

If you cant get SMP or MA the next one to apply for would be income support.

 

[sparkswillfly]

Best to check with the job centre but I thought it was just a case of working any 26 weeks out of the 66 weeks before your due date. So you could work from 10 weeks pregnant to 36 weeks pregnant and be entitled. Maternity allowance that is...