maternity benifit question

car crazy

hi guys

quick question, im hoping to have another baby at some stage, as in hopefully nxt year at some point, ive a question tho...the company i worked for went bang in 09, so i didnt return to another job until aug 2010 but i was tax free until dec 10, so just wondering if i was to have another baby early nxt year would i be eligable for maternity benifit, from what i was reading you have to have paid 39 tax weeks to qualify, i just find that citizen's advice website confusing can anyone clarify this in simple terms i know they base it on a tax year or can it be tax weeks...>

any help appreciated

Lugh Ildanach

It is based on PRSI, not tax. Basically you get a PRSI paid contribution if you earn more than 38 euro in one week, your employer pays this, even if you don't make a contribution yourself.

If you have been working since August 2010, then by the time you reach any maternity leave, you will have been working 39 weeks, and will have obtained 39 PRSI contributions in the 12 month period.

If you don't have the 39 weeks paid contributions in the past 12 months, then you can still qualify if you have 39 weeks paid contributions since you first started working, and have 39 paid or creditted (eg, if you were in receipt of welfare payment or signing for credits) in one of the few years that is mentioned.

Plazaman

^^^^^ as Lugh said

Some light reading HERE

car crazy

thanks guys, appreciate it was to sure