Statutory Maternity Pay UK

[chocci]

Hey guys

I know this is probably not the best forum to post this on but i dont know where else to post it. I am hoping someone out there has some advice. I am not pregnant but hope to be at some point soon after a long time trying Basically I have chance to take redundancy from work in next month or 2. Trying to weigh up pros and cons of staying or going. I would love to try self employed and start my own business. I have worked for my current employer for a lot of years. I get a great redundancy package so now may well be hte time to leave as i find my job fairly stressful and it may not be helping the trying to concieve bit. What is weighing on my mind is I cant seem to find anything anywhere about maternity benefits for the self emplyed woman. Do I qualify for SMP or anything else? Its a pain really that i have worked and paid many contributions for a lot of years and i would be well annoyed if i went self employed and was not entitled to any support from the government? Any ideas anyone. Anyone self employed who know the answers?

Please help as i have to make what is likely one of the most important decisions of my life in the next couple of weeks.

 

[maz]

I believe that if you're self employed you are entitled to the exact same benefits as if you were employed - you just claim it in a slightly different way. I believe the rules were changed recently so that if employed you can claim SMP for 6 months, then AMP (additional maternity pay) for 3 months and then another 3 months with no benefits. I believe if you're self employed you claim AMP from day one. I would imagine that the midwives would keep us right on that one though.

Hope that makes sense. Try searching AMP, and see what comes up.

xx

 

[chocci]

Thanks very much, yeah i think i jsut read something about AMP was gonna say we must be entitleed to something or else no women would dare risk being self employed surely.

 

[Trying4ever]

Yep your definitley entitled to SMP if you are self employed but I didnt know about the AMP ....i just came out of semi-self employment so that I would get additional mat pay from my employer.....like you thats one of the reasons that I was worried about going self employed ...so its a good thread as i'm sure theres other people out there that dont know about these things

 

[chocci]

https://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Customers/WorkingAgeBenefits/Dev_008115.xml.html

Here we go we still are entitled