Self employed and being pregnent ???

**adele1985** · 18-02-2011, 09:56 PM

Hi just wanted a little advice. Ive been childminding for a year now and me and my partner are now trying for a baby. Im just woundering if anyone has had any experiene being self employed and being pregnent. Just want to get an idea of what rights i would have. Would I be still intitled to maternity pay. Obversly I wouldent be taking a full year off as I just cant afford it. Any advice would be greatfully appriciated

**Minstrel** · 19-02-2011, 07:32 AM

If all your class 2 NI contributions are up to date then you will be able to claim Maternity Allowance which at the moment is £124.88 per week for a maximum of 39 weeks. I'm on it at the moment.

Hope this helps.

**adele1985** · 19-02-2011, 02:59 PM

Hi thanks for replying. Im not pregnant yet but we are trying at the minuet im working with another childminder in my house but thats all changing in the next couple of months as im starting up on my own so im a bit concerned im not going to be able to live when we do get pregnent as my partner is self employed too. Do you mind if I ask how you are going to deal with it are you going to take the full time off? how have your parents taken it?

**Fabby** · 19-02-2011, 03:44 PM

Ive taken/taking the full 39 weeks. We are in a good financial position to do so though so thats why i am taking advantage of it. My parents were told right at the beginning so they had plenty of time to sort alternate childcare. One as gone to a nursery, another to a childminder and another to after school club.xx

**Minstrel** · 19-02-2011, 04:52 PM

Hi yes I have also taken the full time off, my DD is nearly 6 months now. I am planning my return at the moment for after Easter.

My mindees all came to a natural end anyway. I finished at the end of the summer holidays and my littlies were starting a school i couldn't collect from. My holiday mindees are coming back as is a family i provide ad-hoc care for. DD is my third and final child so i decided to make the most of it and my DS2 started Reception so has needed me more lately. We haven't been badly off at all as our tax credits have risen which i wasn't expecting (MA isn't included when they calculate your annual income) and so we have been fine. As Fabby said, they have plenty of time to sort out care and I let them know that if they want to return they can but we aren't committed to each other.

**Mrs.L.C** · 19-02-2011, 05:03 PM

Hi I am pregnant atm and OH also works with me so we rely on the income. I plan to take 6 weeks off after baby is born meaning I want to try and work upto 38 weeks so I am only taking 2 months off but I couldnt do this with out the extra pair of hands and someone to do the lifting. We have also limited places for the summer holidays this year (all our after schoolers are term time only and spaces for school holidays are given first come first served)

We have made sure we have backup savings 2 cover at least 3 months of bills. This is handy to have at anytime with this job esp as we both rely on the income.
I can claim maternity pay during this time off but its not alot so we need to go back to work asap but I am happy to do this.

Parents have all been very good and supportive and cover is already in place for May. Most of the parents have approached childminders I have recommended and theses childminders have variations in place already should we need the cover any earlier. However If I took 9 months off I am not sure if we would get many children back as its a long time to be separated from us

**adele1985** · 20-02-2011, 05:42 AM

hi thanks for replying everyone. The situation im in at the minuet im not sure how many of the children we currently have as a partnership will stay with me so thats a little worrying to. I was thinking about working mornings all the way through the pregnancy and employing another childminder for the afternoons when i want to be off and maybee taking a few weeks off when the baby is born but still opening my business by rmploying the childminder to keep things ticking over. What does everyone think of that idea? that brings me to the next question lol ... are you still intiteled to maternity pay if you dont stay off for very long or if your business is still taking an income in