New mums could get £184 per week from DWP payment
New mums could bag almost £200 a week in extra support from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) if they meet certain requirements.
The Maternity Allowance is also eligible for expecting mums who meet the criteria in a bid to relieve financial pressures accrued during maternity leave. You can receive the payment as long as you are employed and don't receive Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), are self-employed, or have recently stopped working.
The payment is worth up to £184.03 each week through Maternity Allowance, which can last up to 39 weeks in some cases. In the longest-lasting cases, new mums could receive a total of £7,117.17.
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But due to the 39-week maximum limit, if you took a full 52 weeks of Statutory Maternity Leave, the final 13 weeks will be unpaid, reports the Manchester Evening News. Maternity Allowance is available once your pregnancy reaches 26 weeks with payments expected between the 11th week before the baby is due and the day after birth.
To be eligible you must meet one of the following criteria:
You were employed for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before your baby is due.
You were registered as self-employed for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before your baby is due.
If you were employed, your earnings must have been at least £30 per week for at least 13 weeks of your employment, with official guidance stating that these weeks do not have to be concurrent. If you have had different jobs or periods of unemployment, this will not automatically make you ineligible for Maternity Allowance.
