on Jobseekers' and pregnant - few questions!

tobytobe

Hi,

Ok, here is the background first:
I was made redundant in 2007 when 5 months' pregnant with first child, my mat benefits kicked in straight away, etc and after it ended I went straight on Jobseekers' Benefit (Baby was then 4 months). In November 2009 I got a contract role which ended in March this year and I had to go back on Jobseekers' again.

I have been looking for work ever since, had a few interviews with no luck and the usual rubbish from agencies promising the moon and then not even getting back to me. I have applied for several jobs a week and still nothing. I have dropped CVs into companies and heard nothing back. I have applied for jobs online, from papers and those who do bother to acknowledge it usually say that someone else was more suitable, blah blah thanks for the confidence boost, etc...

So...
Anyway I am now pregnant again. In a way we are thrilled but in an another I think if we had waited until I was a year or so into another job if I managed to get one, we would have been wiser. Anyway, it happened, despite thinking I might even have problems getting pregnant due to issues and problems with and following the last labour - prolapse and scarring, etc...
I am still looking for work but am just wondering...

1. If I get a job now and then go on maternity leave in January (which I would have to) I won't have enough PRSI paid will I? So will I then not be entitled to maternity benefit?

2. The Social Welfare website says that pregnancy is not an illness, etc that is fine but if I do get work for 7 months or so and then have to stop again and then they say I am not eligible for mat pay, what happens then?

3. Basically, I am wondering what to - from what I can make out, if I stay out of work I just stay on Jobseekers' Benefit all the way through from now until after babs is born with no transfer to maternity pay. If I do get a job because "it's not an illness" which I would be more than happy to do if I could get a job, but then end up screwed for doing the right thing but not having enough PRSI I am worried I will end up with no payments after I go on maternity leave?

Can someone (who manages to get through this without being totally confused! please set me straight as I think I've got a bit confused.

Thank you

tobytobe

Sorry, I was made redundant in 2008 not 2007! Had the baby in 2009... getting baby brain already...

lynski

all details here http://www.welfare.ie/EN/Schemes/BirthChildrenAndFamilies/MaternityBenefit/Pages/mb.aspx

crazy cat lady

I could be wrong but I thought your maternity benefit entitlements were based on the tax year 2 years previous?? So to go on maternity leave in 2011, its your contributions from 2009 that will be assessed?

wmpdd3

As far as I know you will not have less than €196 per week and €29 for your 1st child no matter what the issue is with your prsi contributions.

You may be means tested for this based on your partners pay, if you are dependant on him.

tobytobe

crazy cat lady wrote: »

I could be wrong but I thought your maternity benefit entitlements were based on the tax year 2 years previous?? So to go on maternity leave in 2011, its your contributions from 2009 that will be assessed?

Yeah but I only worked November and December for 2009. I worked Jan to March this year. That was the contract I had. I have had nothing since.

Wmpdd3, so does that mean that if I work from now until I go on mat leave, I won't be penalised for not having worked a required amount of weeks before going on leave again? That would be ok, I could allow for that saving the extra wages I would be earning that I had not been used to for however long it would last!!

Thanks for all the replies everyone, much appreciated

wmpdd3

As long as your not means tested as a dependent, then you def get 196 and the amount for the 1st child.

LashingLady

I was just on to the maternity benefit section about my own leave and basically the qualifying criteria are that you have the required amount of stamps in the qualifying year (which would be either 2008 or 2009 for you depending on when you start you maternity leave this time), and also that you are working at the time you go on mat leave, which you can do from 24 weeks. The lady in mat benefit said that they wanted to see 1 prsi contribution after 24 weeks of pg.

So if I were you I would call the maternity benefit section in Donegal and find out if you have enough prsi stamps in 2008 and 2009. The rules are actually pretty flexible as it is all about the stamps in the three years before you go. You have to have 39 weeks of stamps in one of those years.... The number is (074) 916 4491. They are actually pretty good at answering the phone and can give you lots of info based on your PPS number.

I would defo get out and get some work of some sort, you just have to work up to 24 weeks then you will be able to claim mat ben and of course you can work longer than that. If you do go on mat leave at 24 weeks though your payment will be delayed as you can only send in your form after 24 weeks but they will pay the back pay for the weeks since you started.

tobytobe

Thanks LashingLady that helped a lot. I am definitely trying to find work it's just getting so much as an acknowledgement from people that's half the battle!

Thanks for your reply and best of luck with your own leave and all that follows!