Temping - Maternity Pay Help

[Dimbo]

Please can someone point me in the right direction. I have a friend at work who thinks she won't be entitled to any kind of maternity allowance because of the following:

She was employed by her last employer for at least a year. She became pregnant and at 6 weeks was made redundant (not pg related)

She had 8 weeks between her last contract date and signing onto a temp agency. She didn't want to claim job seekers in this time as she was happy looking for something in this time and not claiming off the government.

She started working for us at about 20 weeks, and although she's technically on a week to week contract, my boss has agreed that she can work for us as long as she wants, and so has told the temp agency that she'll work until 38 weeks.

She has been reading for forms and it seems like she won't be entitled to any maternity allowance or grants because she won't have worked for 26 weeks (I think the contract with the temp agency works out to be 25 weeks to EDD)

She is going to read through the paperwork again tonight, but she thinks because she had an 8 week gap between contracts and this current one is only 25 weeks she won't be entitled.

Please can someone give me some advice I can pass to her, especially an links I can forward onto her.

Thanks ladies

 

[polo_princess]

Try checking out the direct.gov website there is a lot of maternity info on there

 

[Seraphim]

Ringing the jobcentreplus people may get her the quickest answer.

But I think she's right - the 8 week gap will stop her getting SMP (Statutory Maternity Pay) - not sure about MA (Maternity Allowance) though.

 

[Dimbo]

Thanks ladies.

I checked out the Direct.gov.uk website and it looks like although she won't get SMP, she'll get MA, which is by the looks of it, the same amount, just paid by the government rather than the employer.

She's also going to call the jobcentre tomorrow just to be sure what we've read on Direct.

Thanks again

 

[Seraphim]

Ah good.

The different between SMP and MA I do know... the first 6 weeks of SMP is equal to 90% of your usual wage, then £123 per week.... MA is just £123 per week for the duration.

 

[Dimbo]

Ah good.

The different between SMP and MA I do know... the first 6 weeks of SMP is equal to 90% of your usual wage, then £123 per week.... MA is just £123 per week for the duration.

Ah of course. It makes sense that there was more of a difference. Thanks for that, I'll let her know x

 

[reallytinyamy]

I was in the same positin, as long as she worked 25 weeks in a 66 week specified period, whic she will have done, she will get MA nd she will probably get fullwhack- 39 weeks @£117 a week