Warning for anyone going to claim Maternity Allowance

[thelilbump]

Ok so this one is for anyone who has put in a claim for Maternity Allowance (and not heard back yet) or about to put in a claim. I took my form to the local jobcentre this morning and the woman checked through the documents and such like and advised me that local jobcentres don't deal with these claims anymore, a centre in Yeovil (spelling?) does them all now and she would post it on for me. I'd read a thread on here saying that there was a 2 month back log so i knew what she was about to say, well i thought i did! She informed me that because of the centralisation of these forms (i.e they all now go to one place) theres a back log. Anyone who hands in there maternity allowance form in the month of July is estimated to receive their first payment in ....November!! I couldn't beleive it, my baby is gonna be 2 months old by that point!

So i suggest that anyone who has yet to send their form off (but you must be further gone than 26 weeks) then i'd be thinking about getting it sorted. For those that aren't that far yet or still working it be perhaps wise to rethink your budgets. I thought i should mention this anyway so then you can decide what is neccesary for you. Hopefully they'll draft some agency peeps in or soemthing to sort the back log and there won't be any need for all this worry but its better to be safe than sorry (IMO)

 

[ryder]

wow... I cant believe that is actually allowed! I feel sorry for you guys over there

 

[thelilbump]

wow... I cant believe that is actually allowed! I feel sorry for you guys over there

'allowed' thats debatable lol

 

[xXDonnaXx]

That's bad!!

 

[Carley]

Thank god I'm not in the uk!

 

[Roxie]

is this for all areas??

as i was asked to send mine to norwich



XX

 

[thelilbump]

oo i dunno she just said they all get sent to yeovil (Somerset) now. But given that i'm up north it wouldn't even make sense that they have a north/south division.

 

[thelilbump]

^^^^

 

[Wobbles]

They can't leave you with no money!

Ring the main offices for advice.

 

[thelilbump]

they'll review your income and either give u a crisis loan or income support up until your maternity allowance is sorted. then they debit the money they paid you from your maternity allowance. Or that seems to be the general info at the moment! But you can't do anything until they send you the first letter.

 

[Wobbles]

If they give you income support thats not too bad because you'll get mat allowance back dated & it will just come from any back dated £ they owe you however thats discusting and crisis loans for a couple of months isn't exactly the answer is it! Idiots they are - although income support is better than nothing until mat allowance is approved its not what any mum needs (the messing about).

 

[reallytinyamy]

I posted a thread similar to this a while ago, after I called them and had a 'discussion' I had my first payment within 3 days - proof to me that they can do it on time, they will just fob you off

 

[thelilbump]

it is good that they're offering us something in return and not leaving us dry. I posted this thread in third tri aswell and it was another lady who mentioned the income support thing. However, its not fair we have to go through all the hassle in my opinion because we have to wait for the letter then go and make a claim for income support wait for that etc etc. One of the reasons i posted this was to try and avoid any undue stress by raising awareness (hopefully!) It just seems to be a bit of a saga that we could do with out, one of them things i guess. Personally, i've still not heard anything about my claim, will uopdate with the current timescale then though.

 

[mrscookie]

does this apply to all pregnant ladies in the uk?
Im working, so I presumed I would just get my maternity leave money from work for the first 2 months, and then have stat mat money... im so dumb when it comes to stuff like this!

 

[PeanutBean]

does this apply to all pregnant ladies in the uk?
Im working, so I presumed I would just get my maternity leave money from work for the first 2 months, and then have stat mat money... im so dumb when it comes to stuff like this!

Maternity allowance is for people who aren't getting SMP from an employer but that have paid a certain about of NICs.

 

[thelilbump]

does this apply to all pregnant ladies in the uk?
Im working, so I presumed I would just get my maternity leave money from work for the first 2 months, and then have stat mat money... im so dumb when it comes to stuff like this!

Maternity allowance is for people who aren't getting SMP from an employer but that have paid a certain about of NICs.

U get MA if you aren't entitled to SMP because they've not been your employer for long enough (26 weeks), you don't earn enough on a wekly average, or you had to leave employment.

 

[PeanutBean]

does this apply to all pregnant ladies in the uk?
Im working, so I presumed I would just get my maternity leave money from work for the first 2 months, and then have stat mat money... im so dumb when it comes to stuff like this!

Maternity allowance is for people who aren't getting SMP from an employer but that have paid a certain about of NICs.

U get MA if you aren't entitled to SMP because they've not been your employer for long enough (26 weeks), you don't earn enough on a wekly average, or you had to leave employment.

You also get it if you are self employed but you have to have paid enough national insurance, same as with jobseekers.

 

[Jem]

Well I'm really cross today! Sent off my Maternity Allowance over a week ago and today received it all back again saying I sent it too early and to resend it after 27th July. The bloody forms have "received 28th July" stamped on them! So it's stamped as having been received after the 27th July but they still rejected it??? So now I have to resend it off???? I've tried to ring them to have a moan and the lines are busy and they say to ring back later. GRRRRR!!!!! Not happy!!!

 

[PeanutBean]

Well I'm really cross today! Sent off my Maternity Allowance over a week ago and today received it all back again saying I sent it too early and to resend it after 27th July. The bloody forms have "received 28th July" stamped on them! So it's stamped as having been received after the 27th July but they still rejected it??? So now I have to resend it off???? I've tried to ring them to have a moan and the lines are busy and they say to ring back later. GRRRRR!!!!! Not happy!!!

Idiots.... It'll be a bunch of students who don't care and are doing the job for booze money! lol

(I can say this, I was a student for 6 years!)

 

[mrscookie]

thanks girls, that worried me a little there. Hope everyone gets it sorted asap