Calculation of maternity benefit

purplestar77

Hi there,
have just started getting maternity benefit payments which are based on my income in 2008 tax year. In that year I was also on maternity leave/receiving maternity benefit pmts from Jan to mid-June, so only had about 28 weeks normal pay with my employers in 2008. Anyway my income for the whole year of 2008 is very low cos its only for 28 weeks not 52, so Social Welfare have calculated my current mat benefit on this basis and I am not receiving the max of €270 pw as expected (I'm getting slightly more than the minimum).

When I queried this with the mat benefit section, they said my employers paid 52 weeks A1 contributions in that year, and when I queried this with Revenue they said it looks like I was in continuous employment (i.e. getting 52 weeks pay).

Anyone else have this same problem - current maternity benefit "relevant tax year" was when I was last on maternity benefit?

Is it just my bad luck of spacing out my kids 2 years apart?

yabadabado

did your employer pay you the difference between your wage and maternity benefit for the weeks you were off work?

purplestar77

no - I got no top up pay from my employers. Only was paid from mid-June to Dec that year (thats why my income was approx half what it usually is)