Made redundant, looking for work or maybe going self-employed and pregnant

[HCB]

I posted a thread on the Pregnancy Club not knowing about this forum so some background...

I got made redundant last Tuesday when the company I was working for went into administration. Then I found out at the weekend that I'm pregnant. Great news, bad timing!! I did actually want the redundancy but the timings and the complications it's caused not so.

Anyway, now I need to look at my options with regards to what I do with the future. I have a couple of options but if I look for work with a new employer do I have to tell them that I am pregnant? I am only 5 weeks so we don't want to tell many people yet (have only told close family) and I certainly wouldn't want to tell a stranger before a friend (everyone on here excepted!).

I know I won't be entitled to SMP because I won't have worked for anyone long enough so know I will be applying for MA instead.

My other option is that I am also a director of my own company and I have been thinking about pushing this more and making this my full time job or even changing back to sole trader and being self-employed. This seems to bring plenty of complications as well.

With self-employment, it seems that if I get any income in the 39 weeks of paid MA then my MA would stop immediately. However, I may get bookings for future work during this time, for which people pay a deposit, but I wouldn't necessarily do the actual job. Would this then stop my MA?

If I stay as a director then I would then have to claim MA from my own company and my company claim in back from the government. I can see the paper nightmare already!!

Does anyone have any experience of any of these scenarios or have any advice? I need to make a decision what to do for the best financially

Thanks

Helen

 

[MrsRH]

I posted a thread on the Pregnancy Club not knowing about this forum so some background...

I got made redundant last Tuesday when the company I was working for went into administration. Then I found out at the weekend that I'm pregnant. Great news, bad timing!! I did actually want the redundancy but the timings and the complications it's caused not so.

Anyway, now I need to look at my options with regards to what I do with the future. I have a couple of options but if I look for work with a new employer do I have to tell them that I am pregnant? I am only 5 weeks so we don't want to tell many people yet (have only told close family) and I certainly wouldn't want to tell a stranger before a friend (everyone on here excepted!).

I know I won't be entitled to SMP because I won't have worked for anyone long enough so know I will be applying for MA instead.

My other option is that I am also a director of my own company and I have been thinking about pushing this more and making this my full time job or even changing back to sole trader and being self-employed. This seems to bring plenty of complications as well.

With self-employment, it seems that if I get any income in the 39 weeks of paid MA then my MA would stop immediately. However, I may get bookings for future work during this time, for which people pay a deposit, but I wouldn't necessarily do the actual job. Would this then stop my MA?
If I stay as a director then I would then have to claim MA from my own company and my company claim in back from the government. I can see the paper nightmare already!!

Does anyone have any experience of any of these scenarios or have any advice? I need to make a decision what to do for the best financially

Thanks

Helen

hi there,

I was self employed prior to getting pregnant and claimed for MA.

I know you are able to get paid for 10 keep in touch days and here is a bit more info.
Keeping in Touch days if you are getting MA
You are allowed to work as an employed or self-employed person for up to 10 days during your Maternity Allowance Period without losing any MA. These special days are known as Keeping in Touch (KIT) days.

KIT days are intended to help you keep in touch with your workplace or, if you are self-employed with your business. They enable you to do some work without affecting your MA and could also help ease your return to work. If you are on maternity leave from your employer you and your employer must agree that you can work on those days. Your employer does not have any right to insist that you work. If you are not on maternity leave from an employer, or you are self-employed, you are free to decide for yourself whether to do any work or not.

Any work you do as a KIT day, even for as little as half an hour, for example, will count as a whole day for KIT days. You can work for single days; in blocks of two or more days; or they can be worked consecutively. It is the number of days you actually work over the 10 days allowed which determines whether you will lose your MA just for the days worked or whether MA stops altogether. The amount you get paid for the days you work in your MAP will not affect your MA.

If you work for more than 10 days you must not collect any more money. A decision maker trained in applying Social Security law will decide whether any further payments can be made.

You must tell Jobcentre Plus if you do any work for an employer or work as a self-employed person (including work you do on KIT days) in your Maternity Allowance Period.


sorry I don't know enought to comment on the rest!
good luck
xxx

 

[HCB]

Thanks MrsRH.

I had heard about the 10 days KIT but didn't realise you could also do them when self-employed. Not quite sure how they would prove or disprove how many days you have done, though, as there is work that is done that isn't paid directly (i.e. admin stuff) by clients.