Forum home Pregnancy Pregnancy

Maternity allowance?

Hi, just wondered how long any or you ladies who have claimed for this have waited for them to get back to you about it? I am 31+3 and sent my MA form off by recorded delivery on tuesday-it took ages for my employers to get my smp1 forms back to me so i could send this off. I'm expecting it to take about a month for them to get back to me about it and tell me how much i will get etc but i am being induced no later than 37 weeks (maybe before) and i'm worried it may take ages for them to set it up. Just wondering if any of you could just tell me your experince with Maternity allowance. We really can't afford to go without money after baby is here as we just wouldn't survive.
Thanks xxx
http://b3.lilypie.com/QPXl0/.png



http://bd.lilypie.com/d9vl0/.png


Replies

  • Hiya!

    When i first sent off my MA application form i didnt hear anything for 2-3 weeks, then i got a letter saying that i hadnt sent them my MATB1 form, which i most definately had!!
    So i called them and they said they didnt have it but will get someone to contact me. Well another week went by and i hadnt heard anything, so i called again and they said they will send me a letter explaining what to do. They wrote to me saying that i need to send a MATB1 form again, GRRR!!
    So then i had to wait on my midwife filling out another one and then i sent it 1st class recorded and surprisingly i got a letter back in about 2-3 days saying i am eligible and will be recieving it backdated for 4 weeks image
    Thank god, got there in the end!
    So if they hadnt lost my form it would have went smoothly :lol:

    Sharon x
    http://bd.lilypie.com/qxznp1/.png

  • excuse my ignorance, but what is a maternity allowance?
  • MA is what people in employment are entitled to from the govt if they cant get smp - they have to have been employed for 26 weeks out of the last so many weeks...

    Mine took them about 3 weeks to get it all sorted and paid into my account, but I wante it paying the 11th weekf before baby was due so they had to get it sorted quickly - if you're not planning on starting mat leave till later than maybe they're going to sort it out closer to the time....?

    xxx
  • Thanks MummyStephe! Thought I'd missed something! I get smp so it doesn't apply to me!

    Thank you.
  • I sent my forms recorded delivery on 6th Dec. I sent it early as I knew I would manage to work for much longer as I have SPD. I received a letter just yesterday confirming that I will receive it. Pay will be backdated to the beginning of Jan and I should receive my first payment this week. I guess XMas may have made processing my claim take a bit longer. Hope that helps
    Mrs S2B
    31wks +3
  • Thanks so much for replying! Mostly good experiences then! I'm not supposed to be on maternity leave until the 15th feb but will probably bring this to the 1st feb as i will be induced no later than 37 weeks so hopefully by then i would have heard something.

    Thanks again-you have eased my mind. :\)

    http://b3.lilypie.com/QPXl0/.png


    http://bd.lilypie.com/d9vl0/.png

  • I sent mine back in July and it took until October to get back to me (less than a week before my daughter was due) the letter they sent said i wasn't entitled as i hadn't worked enough weeks - fair enough i had counted them wrong. As i was going to be induced the next day my i got all the paperwork ready to appeal as i had more wage slips and my mum sent it recorded delivery. My daughter was born 26th October. When i rang them on the 31st (bearing in mind i had no money from beginning of August when my incapacity benefit ran out) they told me they had not received it even though the royal mail site said it was delivered on the 27th October. It was only last Monday after constant calls 2-3 times a week every week that I had a phone call saying that my Incapacity Benefit and Maternity Benefit had a cross over and they were chasing incapacity that afternoon to get it sorted so they know how much to take off. I was told the money would be in no later than Friday but there was nothing when I checked, so if it's not in Monday am going to call them again. It has been a constant problem for me. Especially as my Fiance was made redundant whilst on unpaid paternity leave and we have been survivng on child benefit, tax credits and his jobseekers which is virtually nothing! Everytime you ring they say they understand and give me numbers to check i'm receiving all the other benefits i can. They now owe me 24 weeks which is the equivalent of about ??2800! :x

    My best friend who had her baby exactly 2 months before me had exactly the same problem.

    Please don't get your hopes up that you will get it anytime soon as it may not happen, it seems pretty simple but they are just so slow.

    Also I have written complaint letters myself to them and through the cab and also to my local MP but unfortunately it hasn't helped.
  • I've sent off for the maternity allowance once already they sent me a letter back saying I wasn't entitled coz I wasn't on income support or job seekers allowance so I've been messin about with the job centre trying to claim income support and I sent back off the maternity form like two weeks ago and I only have just under 6 weeks left I'm worried if I don't hear back from them soon it might be gettin too late I just need the money to get everything sorted for when my little girl arrives I wanted to be more organised than this does anybody know the number I need to ring for them please would be very helpful so I can see where they are with my claim xx 

  • That's BS if you can't get smp but you've can prove you e worked in the last year it do for at least 26 weeks then u should get it surely Regardless of if ur not claiming. Try this no tel:08000556688 good luck x

Sign In or Register to comment.

Featured Discussions