# On dole and now pregnant - am I entitled to Maternity Benefit?



## richo (24 Mar 2006)

Have recently had to sign on and now am PG. Will I be entitled to mternity benefit - due baby in the autumn and have over10 years continuous stamps. Lost my job in Oct of last year so wondering what'll happen if I don't get work between now and when baby is due.
Any advice welcome
thanks
Richo


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## ClubMan (24 Mar 2006)

*Re: on dole and now Pregnant -QS?*

_Maternity Benefit_ is only payable if you are in employment prior to taking maternity leave. See this thread. You should contact _Welfare _and/or your local  for advice on any other welfare payments available to you. Did you make sure to [broken link removed] from last year due to unused tax credits in October-December? If not you can always write to _Revenue _now with details of your earnings from last year (e.g. copies of payslips, _P45 _etc.)  and ask them to review your tax in case you are owed anything.


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## bambino (2 Apr 2006)

*Re: on dole and now Pregnant -QS?*

I can remember what the actual number of weeks is but you must have x number of weeks of PRSI payments in the tax yr prior to the birth.

I think you would be eligible.  try this link it'll give you more info  

HTH


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## ClubMan (2 Apr 2006)

*Re: on dole and now Pregnant -QS?*

I don't think so. From the _Welfare _link in the thread that I linked to above:


> *2. How do I qualify?
> 
> *                                                      To qualify for Maternity Benefit as an          employee you must:
> 
> ...


_Richo _does not seem to meet that requirement.


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## Ellen (4 Apr 2006)

*Re: on dole and now Pregnant -QS?*

I recently met a friend who mentioned that she was thrilled because she had just found out that she was entitled to maternity benefit.  She didn't think that she would be entitled to anything because she had stopped working over a yr ago.  I'm nearly positive that she said that she had been told that she was entitled because it was within two yrs of her finishing work.  Definitely worth looking into it though.


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## ClubMan (4 Apr 2006)

*Re: on dole and now Pregnant -QS?*

If you can post more details about your friend's situation I would be very interested. Based on my understanding of the rules she would not legitimately be entitled to _Maternity Benefit_. Perhaps it was some other payment that she was entitled to?


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## Stronge (24 Apr 2006)

Many years ago I finished work and got maternity allowance I did not go back to work and I had a second child two years and one month later and got my allowance for this pregnancy too!!


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## charlie25 (23 Jun 2009)

I just checked with maternity section of social welfare as I was working full time but put onto a 2 day week so am claiming unemployment benefit for my other 3 days-what they said was that if baby due in say 2010, they check contributions made in 2008-so if baby due this year-they will check 2007-and also you must be paying a Class A contribution every week for at least 16 wks before the baby is due-so I am ok provided I dont lose my job-they said I do lose it, wont be entitled to full maternity pay-but may get a half payment as my contributions were up to date in 2008.


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## dubinamerica (15 Jul 2009)

hi - so if you lost your job would you still be entitled to maternity benefit? I thought you had to be in employment at the time? I worked full time all through 2007 & 2008 and am due early 2010 (though could end up being a 2009 baby). My contract finished up a few months ago and now I'm on job seekers benefit. Can I switch from that to maternity benefit, to get a partial rate of payment ?   I am so confused. Thougt I would get nothing unless I can find work for a few months beforehand which is not looking likely.. If anyone has any info on this I'd really appreciate it.


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## dubinamerica (15 Jul 2009)

Great - thanks for the info. Just one point - say you obtained work a little later - say 26 weeks and just pushed your maternity benefit start date out, would you still be eligible ?  
Also do you need to be working a certain number of weeks ?   Read in another thread about people being told work for a week, but on the website you've to give about 6 weeks notice before applying for benefit, so do you have to be working when you give in the notice ? 

Sorry for all the queries, just trying to figure out my options! Last time around I'd just moved back from out of the country so didn't have the stamps.. this time I have the stamps and am currently unemployed, so trying to see if I can somehow claim for this if I can find work, even if it's outside of my normal area (I.T.) .. Any info is really appreciated.


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## Phibbleberry (15 Sep 2009)

Hi All, 

Ok, so I've read, and re-read the above and just want to clarify.

It is not altogether unlikely that I will be made redundant before the year is out - and I am looking at the possibility of perhaps trying for a baby. Its not a given, which would obviously be ideal as I would be entitled to mat benefit if/when. I'm not trying to scrounge off benefits, I just want to know that if I am made redundant, that I'd be entitled to one or the other (JS or MB) -given the taxes I've paid in recent years.

If I am pregnant when I am made redundant, what are my entitlements? 
Given that I won't be in insurable employment when I would have the baby (or not full time anyway-would look for work in the meantime, but not sure that in the current climate a pregnant person would be likely to be hired, regardless of 'equality' laws).
I've been in continuous employment for 4/5 years since returning from travelling. He will be in continuous employment.
The fact that I would be pregnant, would I even be entitled to JSA given they will assume that I'm not 'seeking', even if I was...

Hope that make sense...just wondered was anyone pregnant when they were made redundant and what it meant for them?

Cheers, 
PB


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## Phibbleberry (15 Sep 2009)

Thanks Jaybird...it all seems so logical, but I wanted to be sure -you're a star, cheers!


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