Maternity Benefits

1. Maternity Benefits Maternity Benefits November 17, 2009 Nicola Moerdyk

2. During pregnancy… MA1 MA Application for prescription charge exemption (maternity) FW8

3. Statuatory Maternity Pay (SMP) – Form MAT B1 To help you to take time off work both before and after your baby is born, you may be able to get SMP. a weekly payment from your employer.

4. Eligible? • To qualify for SMP you must have been • employed by the same employer continuously for at least 26 weeks into the 15th week before the week your baby is due • earning an average of at least £95 a week • To make a claim you must • tell your employer when you want your SMP to start • provide medical evidence of the date your baby is due

5. How much? for the first six weeks at 90 per cent of your average gross weekly earnings with no upper limit for the remaining 33 weeks at the lower of either the standard rate of £123.06, or 90 per cent of your average gross weekly earnings Paid in the same way and at the same time as normal wages for up to 39 weeks

6. Other important information • Keeping in Touch (KIT) days • You can work up to ten days during your Maternity Pay Period (MPP) for the employer paying your SMP without losing your entitlement. • Once you have worked for ten days and you do further work for that employer, you will lose SMP for each week in your MPP in which you do that work.

7. Starting work with a new employer • before your baby is born = SMP is not affected • after your baby is born (if you work for an employer who did not employ you in the 15th week before the week your baby was due) your SMP must stop – NB need to inform employer paying the SMP

8. MAT B1 - Maternity Certificate medical evidence given to the employee by the doctor or midwife showing the expected date of confinement The employee must produce medical evidence of the date the baby is due, usually the MAT B1, but the employer can accept other medical evidence providing it shows the date the baby is due.

9. SMP Record Sheet -Form SMP2 a record sheet that can be used by the employer to record details of their employee’s maternity absence.

10. Exclusion form -Form SMP1 If an employer decides that an employee has no entitlement to SMP they must complete form SMP1 and send it to the employee with the original MAT B1 within seven days They should keep a copy of the SMP1 and MAT B1 for their records.

11. Maternity Allowance (MA) – form MA1 If you're pregnant or have a new baby but don't qualify for SMP, you may be able to claim MA through Jobcentre Plus.

12. Eligible? You might get Maternity Allowance if: you're employed, but not eligible for SMP you're registered self-employed and paying Class 2 National Insurance Contributions (NICs), or hold a Small Earnings Exception certificate very recently been employed or self-employed

13. employed and/or self-employed for at least 26 weeks in your 'test period' (66 weeks up to and including the week before the week your baby is due). Part weeks count as full weeks; and you earned £30 a week averaged over any 13 weeks in your test period

14. If you don't qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance, you may be able to get Employment and Support Allowance instead. If you or your partner or civil partner are claiming benefits or tax credits you may be able to get a Sure Start Maternity Grant.

15. Not eligible if.. entitled to SMP (from any of your employers)

16. How much? a standard weekly rate of £123.06 or 90 per cent of your average gross weekly earnings (before tax), whichever is the smaller maximum of 39 weeks. Possibly extra money for your husband, civil partner or someone else who looks after your children, if that person is on a very low income.

17. How? paid at least every two weeks directly into an account that accepts Direct Payment day of payment will be determined by your National Insurance number at least every two weeks Earliest is from the 11th week before the week of EDD latest you can get it is from the day following delivery

18. Effect on benefits • Tax Credits and Disability Living Allowance are not affected by MA • But any of the following may be reduced or stopped • Employment and Support Allowance • Carer's Allowance • Bereavement Benefits • Income Support • Jobseeker's Allowance will stop

19. How? Form MA1 from Jobcentre Plus or the DWP website If you're not entitled to SMP from any of your employers, each of your employers must give you form SMP1 to send with your MA1 claim form form MATB1 from doctor or midwife no earlier than 20 weeks before 39/40 proof of your earnings 

20. Statutory Adoption Pay Statutory Adoption Pay is a weekly payment you get from your employer to help take time off work when you adopt a child.

21. eligible? To qualify you must have been: matched with a child for adoption by an adoption agency employed by your present employer without a break for at least 26 weeks up to and including the week the adoption agency told you that you had been matched with a child for adoption earning an average of at least £90 a week (before tax)

22. How much? If your average weekly earnings are £90 or more (before tax), SAP is paid at £123.06 or 90 per cent of your average weekly earnings if this is less Paid in the same way and at the same time as your normal wages treated as normal pay - tax and National Insurance is deducted as usual

23. How long? 39 weeks from the date of the child's placement or up to 14 days before the expected date of the placement

24. How and when to claim To claim SAP you must give your employer documentary evidence from the adoption agency – usually a 'matching certificate' Inform your employer when you intend to take leave within seven days of being told by the adoption agency that you've been matched with a child

25. Other info… ?SAP from each employer. you may work for the employer paying you SAP for 10 days without losing SAP entitlement

26. Statutory Paternity Pay When your wife, partner or civil partner gives birth or adopts a child, you may be able to get Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP)

27. To qualify.. all of the following must apply: you must be the biological father or adopter of the child or be the mother's (or adopter's) husband, partner or civil partner or have or expect to have responsibility for the child's upbringing you must be earning an average of at least £90 a week (before tax)

28. you must have continued to work for the same employer without a break for at least 26 weeks by the 15th week before the baby is due, or employed up to and including the week your wife, partner or civil partner was matched with a child you must continue to work for that employer without a break up to the date the child is born or placed for adoption

29. How much? If your average weekly earnings are £90 or more (before tax), SPP is paid for one or two consecutive weeks at £123.06 or 90 per cent of your average weekly earnings if this is less Paid in the same way and at the same time as your normal wages SPP is treated as normal pay - tax and National Insurance is deducted as usual

30. How and when to claim To claim you must tell your employer when you intend to take leave by the 15th week before your baby is due, or within seven days of your wife, partner or civil partner being told by the adoption agency that they've been matched with a child

31. Sure start maternity GrantSF100 (Sure Start) If you're on a low income, the Sure Start Maternity Grant is a one-off payment to help towards costs of a new baby. The grant comes from the Social Fund and you don't have to repay it. £500

32. eligible? if you or your partner receive Income Support Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance Income-related Employment and Support Allowance Pension Credit Child Tax Credit at a rate higher than the family element Working Tax Credit where a disability or severe disability element is included

33. and if one of the following applies to you: • you or your partner are pregnant and expecting a baby within 11 weeks or have given birth within the last three months • you or your partner have adopted a child, or in certain circumstances have been granted a residence order for a child, within the last three months and the child is less than one year old

34. you and your husband or wife have been granted a parental order for a surrogate birth within the last three months • you or your partner are getting benefit for a dependant under the age of 20 who is pregnant and expecting a baby within 11 weeks or has given birth within the last three months

35. How much? £500 for each baby savings won't affect the grant Payment will usually be made directly into a bank, building society or other account provider’s account that you have nominated. won't affect your other benefits or tax credits.

36. How to apply complete claim pack SF100 (Sure Start) Obtainable from Jobcentre Plus or download from the DWP website return completed pack to Jobcentre Plus

37. Health in pregnancy Grant A one-off, tax-free payment from HMRC to help you prepare for the birth of your baby

38. Who? You can get the grant if all of the following apply: you are 25 weeks pregnant or more your expected date of delivery is on or after 6 April 2009 you have been given health advice from a midwife or doctor

39. you may not get the grant if: • you are subject to immigration control or • you are not present, ordinarily resident or have a right to reside in the UK

40. How much? The grant will be a one-off payment of £190 for each pregnancy It will not affect your tax credits or any other benefits Not means tested HMRC will pay the grant directly into your bank or building society account

41. How do you claim? Form from your midwife or doctor once you're at least 25 weeks pregnant Form must be forwarded to HMRC within 31 days of your midwife or doctor signing the form - otherwise grant may not be issued

42. Community care grant If you need financial help to live independently in the community or to ease exceptional pressure on you and your family you may be able to get a Community Care Grant Don't have to pay it back

43. eligible? • You can apply for a Community Care Grant if you are either: • already getting Income Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Pension Credit, or payment on account of one of these benefits • Likely to start getting one of these benefits within the next six weeks because you're moving out of care

44. AND • and any one of the following applies: • you're moving out of residential or institutional care to live independently • you're moving to a new home which will be more suitable for you following an unsettled period in your life and are being resettled by an organisation like a local council or voluntary organisation • you need help to stay in your home and not go into residential care or hospital

45. you need help because you or your family face exceptional pressure, such as family breakdown or because one of you has a long-term illness • you look after someone who is ill or disabled, or has been released from custody on temporary licence • you need help with expenses such as visiting someone who is ill, or to attend a relative's funeral

46. How much? • Amount depends on circumstances • may get reduced amount if you have savings of: • over £500 where you and your partner are aged under 60 • over £1,000 where you and/or your partner are aged over 60

47. usually paid into your bank, building society or other account provider's account that you have nominated doesn't count as income and won't affect other benefits you may be getting You can't usually get a Community Care Grant if you have already asked for the same items or services in the last 28 days

48. It can't be awarded for... any need which occurs outside the United Kingdom educational or training expenses a distinctive school uniform, sports clothes or equipment travelling expenses to and from school school meals expenses in connection with court or legal proceedings removal charges expenses or storage charges, where the local authority can help with these domestic help or respite care repairs to local authority or housing association homes

49. medical, surgical, optical, aural or dental items or services debts to government departments, including tax arrears investments Council Tax most other housing costs fuel costs, except in certain circumstances

50. Healthy Start scheme Entitles claimants to free milk, fresh fruit and vegetables, infant formula and vitamins