New Maternity Benefit Form MB1 (Aug'16)

calendarqueen

I've just started completing the maternity benefit form in order to claim maternity benefit when I go on maternity leave and I noticed that the form has changed a bit since the last time I filled it out. It's the August 2016 edition I'm looking at.

There is a section now requesting details of spouses income as well as the value of any bank accounts / investments / property or capital held by them. This seems to be extremely detailed information considering maternity benefit is not means tested as far as I'm aware.

I'm presuming I can leave this blank but I'm just wondering why its on the form at all???

Also - I notice that the policy with regard to when you must finish up prior to your due date has been clarified on this form and seems to mean that you no longer need to take 2 full weeks before due date - i.e. if your due date is a Tuesday, then your maternity leave can start on the Monday of the previous week!

I've also just noticed if they are self-employed, then you must send a copy of their tax return!

lazygal

It isn't means tested but it is taxed, so maybe that's why the information needs to be provided.

Digs

The part about your spouse is if you're claiming an increase based on their earnings, they need details of their income then. You don't fill it out if you're not looking to claim an increase.

calendarqueen

Digs wrote: »

The part about your spouse is if you're claiming an increase based on their earnings, they need details of their income then. You don't fill it out if you're not looking to claim an increase.

Digs - you are totally correct. I completely misread the form and thought they were separate secions as they were on different pages - but they are not. You do not have to provide this information assuming you are not claiming the increase (Blaming baby brain!!)

Now - does anyone have any idea what Part 6 is about when it asks for details of your children you may wish to claim for??

implausible

calendarqueen wrote: »

Now - does anyone have any idea what Part 6 is about when it asks for details of your children you may wish to claim for??

Just filling this in myself, totally changed since 2012! How is how many kids you already have relevant to maternity benefit? I just filled it in anyway, but glad I'm not the only person wondering about it.

Anne_cordelia

You get a top up for any children you have!

Digs

The kids part I think is only if you're not entitled to the maximum benefit of €230 based on your earnings. To get an increase you have to claim for them. When filling it out on my second baby this year I wasn't entitled to anything extra for my first child as I was already receiving the max benefit.

It's a confusing form, they could do with clarifying a few sections of it!

Orangetaster85

So is the €230 just the maximum for people in full time work? How much do part timers get ?

Kurumba

I filled in that part 6 as well, no idea what I'm claiming for with my other child as it's not very clear. Just put the details down, figured it can't do any harm.

Also wondering if I need to send in my marriage cert again as I already did it in 2012 as we didn't get married in Ireland.

Glad i'm also not the only one not making full sense of it all

Digs

Do you know what it's actually really confusing. If you have dependants they compare the max maternity benefit €230 with illness benefit you would normally receive taking your dependants into account. You receive whichever of the two are higher as your maternity payment.

http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Do-I-get-extra-payments-for-a-qualified-adult-or-qualified-c.aspx

Orangetaster sorry the payments used to be scaled but it says now €230 is the standard rate. I don't know if there's any difference for part timers? It wouldn't make sense though if someone usually worked one day a week for example and when on maternity benefit made extra money? I don't know though.

Moonbeam

Orangetaster85 wrote: »

So is the €230 just the maximum for people in full time work? How much do part timers get ?

The exact same:)
It is a fixed rate for everyone.

dekey

Back in 2014 I had an argument with my employers re my finish date when they kept telling me I had to finish up 2 weeks before my due date. I had to show the evidence from the maternity act ammendment 2004 that it was actually 2 weeks from the end of the week I was due so really only 9 days prior to my due date. They thought I was being childish arguing over a few days but to me it was an extra week with my baby before I was due back to work and a week less of creche fees I had to pay so was worth the fight imo. Hopefully it's much clearer now on the new form

Millem

dekey wrote: »

Back in 2014 I had an argument with my employers re my finish date when they kept telling me I had to finish up 2 weeks before my due date. I had to show the evidence from the maternity act ammendment 2004 that it was actually 2 weeks from the end of the week I was due so really only 9 days prior to my due date. They thought I was being childish arguing over a few days but to me it was an extra week with my baby before I was due back to work and a week less of creche fees I had to pay so was worth the fight imo. Hopefully it's much clearer now on the new form

Dekey isn't it great
it's two weeks from end of week so in theory in baby due on a tuesday go forward to sat then go back 2 weeks and forward to Monday so really only 8 days.

If baby due on a Monday would it only be 7 days?
Every day is precious on maternity leave

CheerLouth

dekey wrote: »

Back in 2014 I had an argument with my employers re my finish date when they kept telling me I had to finish up 2 weeks before my due date. I had to show the evidence from the maternity act ammendment 2004 that it was actually 2 weeks from the end of the week I was due so really only 9 days prior to my due date. They thought I was being childish arguing over a few days but to me it was an extra week with my baby before I was due back to work and a week less of creche fees I had to pay so was worth the fight imo. Hopefully it's much clearer now on the new form

I didn't know this at all! Thanks for the info! My baby is due on a Tuesday this time so it would be a whole week extra that I'll save on Maternity Leave if I go from the end of the week instead of two weeks before the date! Woot!

dekey

If baby due on a Monday would it only be 7 days?
Every day is precious on maternity leave [/quote]

If baby is due on a Monday count forward to the end of that week (a week technically goes from Sunday-Saturday for those that work weekends) and count back 2 weeks from that day. That is the latest you can legally work to. e.g. let's say baby is due Monday Dec 19th count forward to Sat Dec 24th & back 2 weeks from there (Dec 10th) this is the latest date you can work until. I work Mon-Fri so would have to finish up on Fri Dec 9th.

Hope that all makes sense

Millem

dekey wrote: »

If baby due on a Monday would it only be 7 days?
Every day is precious on maternity leave

If baby is due on a Monday count forward to the end of that week (a week technically goes from Sunday-Saturday for those that work weekends) and count back 2 weeks from that day. That is the latest you can legally work to. e.g. let's say baby is due Monday Dec 19th count forward to Sat Dec 24th & back 2 weeks from there (Dec 10th) this is the latest date you can work until. I work Mon-Fri so would have to finish up on Fri Dec 9th.

Hope that all makes sense[/quote]

Dekey that is great!
So say I work mon-fri I would go to work on the 9th Friday and mat leave starts mon 12th?

dekey

dekey wrote: »

Dekey that is great!
So say I work mon-fri I would go to work on the 9th Friday and mat leave starts mon 12th?

[/quote]

Yep exactly. Makes a big difference doesn't it especially if you consider that you could potentially be 2 weeks overdue and by then a month of your mat leave could be gone before baby arrives and you'd be due back to work when they're 5 months old if you can't afford to take unpaid