Old style esa and maternity allowance.

chestkms
chestkms Community member Posts: 6 Listener
in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

Hi. Just looking for a bit of advice really. I’m currently pregnant. Midwife said I can apply for maternity allowance if I need to but I’ve read online that claiming it can affect new style esa. I’m just wondering if it affects old style esa in the same way? I’m currently on the old style esa contribution based in the support group. Tried looking online, even called citizens advice but they couldn’t help me. Thank you!

Comments

  • Kimmy87
    Kimmy87 Community member Posts: 1,348 Trailblazing

    Have you tried this calculator?

    https://www.gov.uk/maternity-paternity-pay-leave

  • chestkms
    chestkms Community member Posts: 6 Listener

    yes. I used that calculator earlier. It said I was entitled to MA but unfortunately didn’t say whether it can be claimed at the same time as old style ESA. Thank you

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,782 Championing

    If you haven’t worked in the last 26 weeks out of 66 weeks before the baby is born you will not be entitled to Maternity Allowance. See link. https://www.gov.uk/maternity-allowance/eligibility

    You can’t claim MA and New style/contributions based ESA at the same time. This is because they are treated as overlapping benefits. https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Overlapping-benefits

  • chestkms
    chestkms Community member Posts: 6 Listener

    as previously stated. I’m not on new style ESA. Thank you

  • Kimmy87
    Kimmy87 Community member Posts: 1,348 Trailblazing

    I think what Poppy meant is New Style & CB ESA both overlap with Maternity Allowance.

  • chestkms
    chestkms Community member Posts: 6 Listener

    oh sorry. I misread..thank you for your help!

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,782 Championing
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/944170#Comment_944170

    New style ESA is a contributions based benefit.

  • chestkms
    chestkms Community member Posts: 6 Listener

    yes new style esa is contribution based but it’s also linked to UC and I’m not on UC. I’m on the stand alone old style esa contribution based in the support group.

  • chestkms
    chestkms Community member Posts: 6 Listener

    from scouring online it seems you can’t claim both esa and MA at the same time anyway so thanks everyone for your help. I’ll try and delete the discussion now if I can work out how.

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 61,782 Championing

    NsESA is not linked to UC specifically. They are both completely different benefits. Many people claim NsESA without UC. Yes, as I advised CB ESA and MA are overlapping benefits. You can't delete your own thread, only a member of the scope team can do that. If you want it deleted you can contact the team and ask them. community@scope.org.uk.

Categories