Maternity Payment and FIS Contract over

Jaffusmaximus

My wife is fully eligible for maternity payment due the fact she has worked enough days for the last two years to claim it. Her contract for her current job ends this week and she will start start her maternity leave. According to legislation all women on maternity leave are entitled to FIS but when she spoke to the FIS office they freaked out about the fact she will be officially out of work and were very unhelpful regarding completing her application form. Also I have been a stay at home parent for the last 2 years and have not being getting any income but will be job seeking!

My question is basically is she eligible and is it worth taking on the hassle of jumping through hoops to prove she is entitled to a FIS payment.

mrsbyrne

Being on Maternity Benefit does not result in an automatic entitlement to FIS!! Other factors do come into play.
One of the factors is that if she were not on Maternity Benefit, she would be in employment for at least 19 hours per week/38 hours per fortnight, and that that employment is gauranteed to last at least 3 months.
Your wife's contract has ended, and as far as i can see is not being renewed, so she is not in employment, she does not have an employer, and thus not entitled to FIS.

Jaffusmaximus

mrsbyrne wrote: »

Being on Maternity Benefit does not result in an automatic entitlement to FIS!! Other factors do come into play.
One of the factors is that if she were not on Maternity Benefit, she would be in employment for at least 19 hours per week/38 hours per fortnight, and that that employment is gauranteed to last at least 3 months.
Your wife's contract has ended, and as far as i can see is not being renewed, so she is not in employment, she does not have an employer, and thus not entitled to FIS.

Thx for the reply, this is the only information I could find and this is what it states, you see she worked 8 months last year and 6 months this year it just happened that this contract ends right before she can go on maternity leave.

"Under the Maternity Protection Act 1994, a woman who qualifies for Maternity Benefit is entitled to claim FIS. Employees who qualify for Health & Safety leave or Adoptive Benefit are also entitled to claim FIS" source citizens information and FIS website.

From the above it would suggest that if you are getting maternity benefit than you can get FIS.

mrsbyrne

Jaffusmaximus wrote: »

Thx for the reply, this is the only information I could find and this is what it states, you see she worked 8 months last year and 6 months this year it just happened that this contract ends right before she can go on maternity leave.

"Under the Maternity Protection Act 1994, a woman who qualifies for Maternity Benefit is entitled to claim FIS. Employees who qualify for Health & Safety leave or Adoptive Benefit are also entitled to claim FIS" source citizens information and FIS website.

From the above it would suggest that if you are getting maternity benefit than you can get FIS.

Yes, you would be entitled to apply/claim for FIS but applying and being awarded are not the same thing. unless you tick all the other FIS boxes, working for 19 hours per week/38 hours per fortnight (if she were not on maternity benefit) and employment likely to last at least 3 months then she will not be awarded FIS. your wife ticks neither of these boxes, she is not entitled to FIS.

Jaffusmaximus

Thx again, she is going to send in an application and see what kind of reply she gets.