confused about maternity pay, please advise!

[hellosailor]

I feel like a real muppet not being able to work all this out for myself, but having trawled lots of sites I'm still pretty confused. I know it will be tricky to say for sure what I may or may not be entitled to just from this general post but my main question is...

I'm 10 weeks pregnant with my first. I'm currently self-employed.

BUT..I start a new job as a teacher at a school (so PAYE) at the beginning of September term. My pregnancy is a happy accident (!) so I will be starting my new job 17 weeks pregnant - so from my research it looks to me that, completely understandably, my new school will not be required to give me any maternity pay as I will not have worked there for long enough to qualify for it by the time I go on maternity leave.

But as far as I can see even though they wouldn't be required to give me financial support, they would have to allow me to return to work with them if I wanted to after maternity leave, even though I will only have worked there for 4 months before having to go off on maternity leave?

Second question! I'm confused about other types of maternity pay available to people who don't qualify for pay from their employers - is 'Maternity Allowance' something I would be entitled to from the sounds of my situation? Because from my research it looks as if that is abot ?124 a week which would make a huge difference to me.

I'm finding the blurb about maternity allowance confusing though as it keeps referring to it as being a payment given to 'pregnant women' whereas I would have thought it was given to women who had actually had a baby?! (sorry if this is beyond a stupid question...)

I know this should probably all be perfectly obvious to me having looked at various sites but having read through lots of stuff I'm still pretty confused. If there is a way to find out if I will qualify for some sort of maternity allowance then it would really put my mind at rest.

Please could someone who is an old-hand with this stuff give some advice to a confused first timer? Thank you!

[Fuschia]

Yes, I think you'll be entitled to MA (which isn't taxable) depending on your self employed earnings

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Expectingorbringingupchildren/DG_10018869

[Fuschia]

Also: http://www.teachers.org.uk/files/maternity-matters-april10.doc#_4.5_MATERNITY_ALLOWANCE

[hellosailor]

Thanks Fuschia, that's kind. I've been scouring those pages and I think it looks as if I should be too, which would be a great relief!

[The Nappy Lady]

Hellosailor,

I'd ring the MA people, they are really lovely and very helpful - clearly used to dealing with easily confused pregnant ladies!!! I was very confused before speaking to them but they totally sorted me out.

Molly