Maternity benefit and time off work

orchidsrpretty

I have been on illness benefit since finding out I was pregnant in the beginning of March. I am still employed and have been handing in sick notes every month. Before getting pregnant I took 1 weeks holiday from the 24 Feb and 1 week unpaid leave from the 3rd -11 March when I submitted claim for illness benefit.

Ok, so I rang the maternity benefit people today just to double check that everything would be fine with my claim, and she nicely informed me that because I took 1 week unpaid leave before going on illness benefit, this disqualifies me from claiming the benefit as you need t have continuous prsi contribution immediately before going on illness benefit.

Is there anything at all I can do short of returning to work straight after the birth? I work in a very heavy environment and doubt very much my employer would want me back so soon as I will be useless, I will more than likely having a c-section, although this is to be confirmed.
I got so upset talking to the woman on the phone. I mean how I am possibly going to be able to survive and pay mortgage and bills and care for two babies on zero income?

Any advice much appreciated as I really don't know what I am going to do.

mrsbyrne

orchidsrpretty wrote: »

I have been on illness benefit since finding out I was pregnant in the beginning of March. I am still employed and have been handing in sick notes every month. Before getting pregnant I took 1 weeks holiday from the 24 Feb and 1 week unpaid leave from the 3rd -11 March when I submitted claim for illness benefit.

Ok, so I rang the maternity benefit people today just to double check that everything would be fine with my claim, and she nicely informed me that because I took 1 week unpaid leave before going on illness benefit, this disqualifies me from claiming the benefit as you need t have continuous prsi contribution immediately before going on illness benefit.

Is there anything at all I can do short of returning to work straight after the birth? I work in a very heavy environment and doubt very much my employer would want me back so soon as I will be useless, I will more than likely having a c-section, although this is to be confirmed.
I got so upset talking to the woman on the phone. I mean how I am possibly going to be able to survive and pay mortgage and bills and care for two babies on zero income?

Any advice much appreciated as I really don't know what I am going to do.

You say you will have zero income. Are you no longer on IB? Are you on your own?

orchidsrpretty

I'm on illness benefit due to pregnancy related complications so I presume once babies are born I will no longer be entitled to it.

wmpdd3

How long have you been working, ask the mat benefit place to use 2012 for your entitlement. They did this for me when I claimed maternity benefit twice in 2 years.

If you are employed you must have:

At least 39 weeks PRSI paid in the 12-month period before the first day of your maternity leave
Or

At least 39 weeks PRSI paid since first starting work and at least 39 weeks PRSI paid or credited in the relevant tax year or in the tax year immediately following the relevant tax year. For example, if you are going on maternity leave in 2014, the relevant tax year is 2012 and the year following that is 2013.
Or

At least 26 weeks PRSI paid in the relevant tax year and at least 26 weeks PRSI paid in the tax year immediately before the relevant tax year. For example, if you are going on maternity leave in 2014, the relevant tax year is 2012 and the year before that is 2011.

I know people who took unpaid leave after their maternity leave and still claimed maternity leave the next year, the section just used a different year to calculate their prsi contributions.


What if the weeks unpaid leave was also sickness but unpaid from work, what would be the situation then? I would go to the citizens advice office and ask for clarification.

If it does work out that you cant claim mat benefit and you are recovering from a major opp, you will have to claim illness benefit but that will run out eventually.

Also if you (and you partner) earn less than €502 per week normally, apply for FIS as soon as baby is born, you can receive it even though you are not in work.

Cushie Butterfield

Don't get stressed out over getting absolutely nothing. If you don't get maternity benefit, illness benefit or paid leave from work you'll be able to apply for supplementary welfare allowance.

orchidsrpretty

That's great info wmpdd3, I had been to citizens advice and they had told me about using qualified years. I have over 12 years contiunious work so thought that would be fine. But talking to the woman on the phone today all that matters is that I took 1 weeks unpaid leave before going on IB... So don't satisfy the condition that I was paying PRSI up until the last day I worked, and am not entitled to apply for anything else. Can I apply for FIS if I have zero income? I thought I had to be working at least 19 hours per week to qualify for that.
Maybe I will pop back into citizens advice tomorrow and see what they say. Unfortunalty my local centre just seems to look up things on the internet and go by that.
I was unfit for work during my week unpaid as I had IVF so was recovering from the egg collection procedure. But I didn't submit a claim for that week as thought I would be back in work by the time I wad recovered.

mrsbyrne

If your parenting alone you can apply for OPFP as soon as baby is here and SWA while you are waiting