Hey guys

I know this is probably not the best forum to post this on but i dont know where else to post it. I am hoping someone out there has some advice. I am not pregnant but hope to be at some point soon after a long time trying Basically I have chance to take redundancy from work in next month or 2. Trying to weigh up pros and cons of staying or going. I would love to try self employed and start my own business. I have worked for my current employer for a lot of years. I get a great redundancy package so now may well be hte time to leave as i find my job fairly stressful and it may not be helping the trying to concieve bit. What is weighing on my mind is I cant seem to find anything anywhere about maternity benefits for the self emplyed woman. Do I qualify for SMP or anything else? Its a pain really that i have worked and paid many contributions for a lot of years and i would be well annoyed if i went self employed and was not entitled to any support from the government? Any ideas anyone. Anyone self employed who know the answers?

Please help as i have to make what is likely one of the most important decisions of my life in the next couple of weeks.

I believe that if you're self employed you are entitled to the exact same benefits as if you were employed - you just claim it in a slightly different way. I believe the rules were changed recently so that if employed you can claim SMP for 6 months, then AMP (additional maternity pay) for 3 months and then another 3 months with no benefits. I believe if you're self employed you claim AMP from day one. I would imagine that the midwives would keep us right on that one though.

Hope that makes sense. Try searching AMP, and see what comes up.

xx

Thanks very much, yeah i think i jsut read something about AMP was gonna say we must be entitleed to something or else no women would dare risk being self employed surely.

Yep your definitley entitled to SMP if you are self employed but I didnt know about the AMP ....i just came out of semi-self employment so that I would get additional mat pay from my employer.....like you thats one of the reasons that I was worried about going self employed ...so its a good thread as i'm sure theres other people out there that dont know about these things

http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/...08115.xml.html

Here we go we still are entitled