FOOL'S EYE VIEW
Claim Your Maternity Rights

By Jane Mack (TMFJane)
April 11, 2002

Further to our earlier article about maternity rights, it seemed to me that a further explanation was needed of what women may be entitled to when they do not fulfil the criteria required for Statutory Maternity Pay. For example, a woman may be newly unemployed, self-employed, or have recently changed jobs or she may not have worked for a long time.

In most cases, what she'll get is the Maternity Allowance and, unfortunately, it's not a lot!

The Maternity Allowance is payable by the Benefits Agency if she falls into one of the following categories:

• She is employed but do not qualify for SMP (as outlined in our previous article); or
• She has recently been employed but are not working now; or
• She is self-employed.

Essentially, if a woman has been earning at least £30 a week on average for at least 26 weeks in the 'test' period (66 weeks before the week the baby is due), then she will be entitled to a Maternity Allowance of £75 a week. This payment is made for 18 weeks at the moment but will increase to 26 weeks from April 2003 when the allowance will go up to £100 a week.

However, those who have not been earning at all during the previous 15 months will not be entitled to Maternity Allowance, and will need to look at Incapacity Benefit, Income Support or Family Credit. The Benefits Agency should automatically check to see if she qualifies for any of these but it's worth giving them a nudge to make sure.

There is some extra help from the Government if the parents-to-be are on a low income. It's a one-off payment (called a Sure Start Maternity Grant) and you can claim it if you, or your partner, are getting one of the following:

• Income Support;
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance;
• Working Families' Tax Credit; or
• Disabled Person's Tax Credit

It depends on your individual circumstances as to how much you'll get but, in this new tax year, the grant could be worth up to £500.

Don't forget, of course, that there is also Child Benefit. The new amounts for the 2002-2003 tax year are £15.75 a week for the first child and £10.55 for every subsequent child. You can claim whatever your financial circumstances.

Another, more recent benefit for parents who are struggling is the Working Families' Tax Credit (WFTC). The amount of WFTC you get depends on the number and age of children in the family, the income coming into the household, the hours you work and the amount of childcare charges paid. It is paid for six months after which you have to re-apply. You can find out if you qualify for WFTC by contacting your local benefits office, any Inland Revenue enquiry offices or the WFTC Helpline which is 0845 609 5000.

Linked to the WFTC is the Children's Tax Credit (CTC), which is a form of tax relief now worth up to £1,040 in the first year of the child's birth. More on that on Monday though.

If you're still a bit confused about what rights you have, then check out the website of the Department of Work and Pensions or ring your local Benefits Agency.

More: Women's Finance