Pregnant Job Seekers Allowance – How to claim it?

pregnant job seekers allowance. There are people who do not know yet that they deserve to get help from the government in their certain circumstances. In this case are those who are pregnant and unemployed or work less than 16 hours per week. It will give you some information about what job seekers allowance is and the way to claim it.

Pregnant Job seekers allowance is eligible for those in their certain circumstances such as unemployed, on a low income, disabled or injured have dependants aged over 60, pregnant or has recently had a baby. In this case, this article will talk about the pregnant job seekers allowance.

Pregnant job seekers allowance is a financial help from the government for those who are pregnant and unemployed or work less than 16 hours per week. Government will give amount of money for the pregnant job seekers to help those who are in need of financial support.

Pregnant Job Seekers Allowance
Pregnant Job Seekers Allowance

Pregnant Job Seekers Allowance Types

There are two types of job seekers allowance for pregnant job seekers, Statutory Maternity Pay and Maternity Allowance. Statutory Maternity Pay is eligible if you employed by the same employer continuously for at least 26 weeks into the 15th week before the week your baby is due.

To make claim of your Statutory Maternity Pay, you need to do two things: tell your employer when you want your SMP to start and provide medical evidence of the date your baby is due. To apply for Statutory Maternity Pay, you must tell your employer at least 28 days before you aim to stop work because of your pregnancy and give them the exact date your baby will born.

If you are eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay, in the first six weeks you will get 90 per cent of your average gross weekly earnings with no upper limit. And for the remaining 33 weeks you will get 90 per cent of your average gross weekly earnings. It will be paid in the same way and at the same time as your normal wages. It can be paid for up to 39 weeks.

If you are eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay, then you are not allowed to apply for Maternity Allowance. By applying for Maternity Allowance, you will get 90 per cent of your average gross weekly earnings before tax. It is smaller than Statutory Maternity Pay. Your gross average weekly earnings or the amount you are treated as earning from your self-employment help in deciding the amount of Maternity Allowance you get.

Maternity Allowance will be paid every two weeks or every four weeks directly into your bank or building society. From the 11th week before the week your baby’s due is the earliest you can get Maternity Allowance. The latest you can get it is from the day following your child’s birth. All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into an account because it is the safest, most convenient and efficient method of payment.

After you have discovered what you could be eligible for, you can apply for benefits in several ways. Unfortunately you will still need to fill in lengthy forms and supply evidence of your circumstances, but this will be worth the time if you find you should be receiving financial help.

Even nowadays you can apply online, which make the whole process a lot easier. You may apply at the Department of Work & Pensions for benefits such as Income Support, Jobseekers’ Allowance, and Child Maintenance, and HMRC for tax credits. If you prefer, the DirectGov website also offers the option to apply for many benefits online, or download the relevant forms and fill them in by hand.

Obtain benefit application forms by visiting your local Jobcentre, council, or Citizens Advice Bureau also can be done. Talking to someone about your certain circumstances and find out what benefits could apply to you.

Many people are put off claiming for benefits because the system is unnecessarily confusing, but this if you look carefully into the benefits you may be entitled to and apply accordingly for what you think you should be receiving, it is worth to fight for. If your claim is successful, benefit money will directly send into your account from the day your claim was made – so it’s worth applying as soon as possible.

 

References:

  • How to Find Out What Benefits You’re Entitled to. money.co.uk/article/1003346-how-to-find-out-what-benefits-you-re-entitled-to.htm
  • Change of circumstances – Pregnancy. nidirect.gov.uk/change-of-circumstances-pregnancy
  • Statutory Maternity Pay. direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Expectingorbringingupchildren/DG_10018741
  • Maternity Allowance. direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Expectingorbringingupchildren/DG_10018869
  • Images: fivestarsandamoon.com

Article publié pour la première fois le 17/08/2015