Need advice regarding maternity pay

[louise0501]

Hi everyone, i'm new here but just really need some advice as i'm really down at the moment and so stressed out. my baby is due 22nd july. i was working for the same employer from oct 2011 till may 3rd 2013 so quite a while and i was there on a temporary contract but they decided to end my employment on 3rd may which meant i had to take maternity leave early. i worked in an office so i was planning on taking maternity leave a few weeks before due date. i thought we had to give employer 28 days notice of maternity leave which i was unable to do as my contact ended but they now tell me that you have to let them know by 25 weeks pregnant but as soon as i left i sent them the matb1 form and they got back to me saying i qualify for maternity pay but then the last two - three weeks they have just been fobbing me off saying they don't know how to process my smp and now all of sudden they have said i needed to let them know by april 8th so they can't pay me anything. i have no money and i am due to be moving from swindon to bristol with my boyfriend and i have him on at me to get a flat but i don't have any money. i have just broken down as im so stressed with it all and i don't know what to do. can anyone relate to this? if my employer don't pay me will the job centre pay it? any advice would be great, this was the last thing i needed right now.

Please reply
Many Thanks
Louise

 

[meandu]

Hi hun try not to worry, if you don't qualify for smp you will get ma from job centre. Not sure of amount but I think at least £80 per week. Phone the job centre or pop in, explain your situation and they should help sort it

 

[Lulabelle27]

Hi try not to worry too much as you will likely qualify for maternity allowance if you don't for SMP. It's nothing to do with the job centre, but if you google it you can get the forms and everything offline. The payment is a maximum of £135 per week as long as you have up to date national insurance contributions and you earned over £120 ish per week in the run up to your leave. You will need your matb1 though. Hope this helps

 

[louise0501]

hi. will i still qualify for MA even though it was my fault i didnt get SMP.as i didnt apply early enough? the problem is i have no money to live on and it probably takes a few weeks to get MA processed. i dont understand why my wotk got this so wrong? i shouldve been told weeks ago that i wasnt entitled but instead they told me i was entitled and now suddenly said i am not. i feel so depressed and let down.

please reply
love louise

 

[aimee-lou]

hi. will i still qualify for MA even though it was my fault i didnt get SMP.as i didnt apply early enough? the problem is i have no money to live on and it probably takes a few weeks to get MA processed. i dont understand why my wotk got this so wrong? i shouldve been told weeks ago that i wasnt entitled but instead they told me i was entitled and now suddenly said i am not. i feel so depressed and let down.

please reply
love louise

Shouldn't be a problem as it's nothing to do with your work. Do you still have your MATB1? You'll need that and 13 weeks worth of payslips. If you don't have it, ask work for it back, or ask your MW for a new copy.