Pregnancy - Customer CarerExisting Benefits
Existing Benefits
To claim Carer's Allowance, the customer should put in a written request to their local Jobs & Benefits or Social Security Office at the same time as collecting the claim pack DS700 / DS700(SP), or send in the written request to
Disability and Carers Service,
Castle Court,
Royal Avenue,
Belfast,
BT1 1HR
Income Support/Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based)The customer's Housing Benefit will not be affected if they or their partner are pregnant. If a customer works for an employer and is expecting a baby, she may be entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay, whether she intends to return to work or not.
Statutory Maternity Pay can be paid for up to 39 weeks and can start from the beginning of the 11th week before the week in which her baby is due. A customer who is working can choose for Statutory Maternity Pay to start later than this.
The customer must tell her employer that she intends to stop work because of her pregnancy, at least 28 days before she intends to do so.
She must give her employer her maternity certificate (form MAT B1 which her doctor or midwife will give her) within 3 weeks of starting her maternity pay period.
If the baby is born before or during the 15th week and the customer would have completed 26 weeks employment with her employer into the 15th week, but for the early birth, Statutory Maternity Pay will still be payable.
If the customer is dismissed, or her employment is otherwise ended without her consent, during or after the 15th week, Statutory Maternity Pay may still be payable.
For full details on Statutory Maternity Pay see leaflet NIL17A, "A guide to maternity benefits".
If the customer is in receipt of Carer's Allowance , or someone else receives Carer's Allowance that includes an increase for her, any Statutory Maternity Pay or Statutory Sick Pay that she receives will be classed as earnings, whilst any award of Maternity Allowance or Incapacity Benefit will have to be taken into account because these benefits are affected by Carer's Allowance.
Sure Start Maternity Grant (Social Fund)If the customer or their partner are receiving:
they could qualify for a Sure Start Maternity Grant to help pay for things for a new baby. If they are adopting a baby they can apply for a payment if the baby is not more than 12 months old when they apply. They can apply up to three months after the date of the adoption order. A Sure Start Maternity Grant may also be awarded if there has been a surrogate birth and a parental order has been obtained.
The payment is £500 for each baby expected, born, adopted, or subject to a parental order.
Any capital the customer or partner has will not affect the amount of the award.
To claim, the customer should ask their local Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office for claim form SF 100. If she is expecting a baby, she can apply at any time from 11 weeks before the week her baby is due, until her baby is three months old.
Maternity Allowance/Incapacity Benefit/Employment and Support AllowanceMaternity Allowance can be paid for up to 39 weeks starting from the 11th week before the week in which their baby is due.
To get Maternity Allowance the customer must satisfy two conditions, the employment condition and the earnings condition.
To satisfy the employment condition the customer must have been employed or self-employed in at least 26 weeks in the test period. The test period is the period of 66 weeks up to and including the week before the week in which the baby is due.
To satisfy the earnings condition the customer must have earned at least £30 a week on average from all her employments. This £30 a week minimum is called the Maternity Allowance Threshold (MAT).
Extra benefit may be added to the customer's Maternity Allowance for a spouse or civil partner, or someone else who looks after children or qualifying young persons for them.
To claim, a customer should complete form MA 1 which they can get from their local Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office, Maternity or Child Health Clinic.
The form should be completed and sent to Incapacity Benefits Branch not more than 14 weeks before the week their baby is due.
The customer has to ensure they send their maternity certificate (form MAT B1), which their doctor or midwife will give them, with their MA 1.
For full details on Maternity Allowance see leaflet NIL17A, "A Guide to Maternity Benefits".
Their maternity certificate is accepted as evidence of incapacity for work for the period starting six weeks before the week their baby is due to two weeks after the actual date of birth.
If their Maternity Allowance is not allowed their right to Incapacity Benefit / Employment and Support Allowance will be considered automatically, a separate claim is not needed, but they must claim no more than three months after their baby is born.
If the customer is already in receipt of Incapacity Benefit or Employment and Support Allowance they should obtain form MAT B1 from their doctor or midwife and submit it to Incapacity Benefits Branch as soon as possible.
They will issue the customer with form MA 1 to claim Maternity Allowance at the appropriate time.
If Maternity Allowance is awarded this will affect any payment of Incapacity Benefit or Employment and Support Allowance the customer receives or is paid for them.
Any award of Maternity Allowance or Incapacity Benefit will be taken into account because these benefits are affected by Carer's Allowance.
Automatic Entitlement
Others
Entitlement to the following is not automatic:
If a customer is claiming free HS Treatment on the grounds of low income, they should claim on form HC1 which they can get from a Social Security or Jobs & Benefits office, hospital, dentist, optician or family doctor.
The customer will need to fill in form HC5 if they have already paid and want a refund of health costs for HS dental treatment, sight tests, HS wigs and fabric supports, and necessary travel costs to and from hospital for HS treatment.
To claim a refund of prescription charges the customer must obtain a receipt form PS7 at the time the charge was paid.
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