Self-employed mums could claim up to £145 a week on maternity leave
HUNDREDS of thousands of self-employed mums may be missing out on maternity pay worth more than £5,660.
Self-employed mums may be entitled to up to £145.18 a week in "maternity allowance" because they don't qualify for traditional statutory maternity pay.
A Freedom of Information (FOI) request by mortgage broker John Charcol reveals that there were 127,400 successful maternity allowance claims filed by self-employed mums between January 1, 2013 and December 1, 2017.
But a survey of 100 mums conducted by the broker found that more than three in 10 (36 per cent) self-employed mums failed to claim for their last pregnancy.
Given a 2018 study by self-employed trade body IPSE and Kingston University found that there are 594,000 self-employed working mums, that could be 213,840 people who are missing out.
Here's what you need to know about maternity allowance and how to claim.
What is maternity allowance?
Maternity allowance is a payment made every two or four weeks to self-employed mums and mums to be.
You can claim the following:
- £145.18 a week or 90 per cent of your average weekly earnings - whichever is less - for 39 weeks
- £27 a week for 39 weeks
- £27 a week for 14 weeks
You can claim once you’ve been pregnant for 26 weeks and payments can start 11 weeks before your baby is due.
Payments are usually paid straight into your bank account, although do be aware that these can affect how much you get from other benefits - including Universal Credit.
Can I get maternity allowance?
To get maternity allowance you need to have been self-employed for at least 26 weeks and earning (or classed as earning) £30 a week or more in at least 13 weeks - the weeks do not have to be together.
Self-employed mums also need to have paid Class 2 national insurance contributions (NICs) for at least 13 of the 66 weeks before their baby is due if they want to claim the full amount.
If you haven't paid enough NICs to get the full rate you’ll get £27 a week for 39 weeks.
The £27 for 14 weeks is paid to mums who aren't employed or self-employed but who have a self-employed civil partner or spouse.
How do I claim maternity allowance?
To claim maternity allowance, you need to fill in an from Gov.uk, print it and post it to the address on the form.
If you can't print the form, call the Jobcentre Plus on 0800 055 6688 and ask for one to be sent to you.
You will also need proof of your income, such as original payslips, and proof of the baby’s due date, such as a letter from the doctor or midwife.
You should get a decision on your claim within 24 working days.
If you disagree with the decision, you can ask for a .
How does maternity allowance differ from maternity pay?
Statutory maternity pay (SMP) is for employees. It is paid for up to 39 weeks and you get:
- 90 per cent of your average weekly earnings (before tax) for the first six weeks.
- £145.18 or 90 per cent of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) for the next 33 weeks.
To get it you must have worked for your employer continuously for at least 26 weeks continuing into the "qualifying week" - the 15th week before the expected due date.
You also need to earn at least £116 a week on average.
More on money
Back in 2017, thousands of women’s maternity benefits payments were delayed – here’s how to make sure yours arrives on time.
These four mums did amazing things on maternity leave such as starting a business and planning their own wedding.
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