Maternity allowance and last invoice payment

Hi, I'm in a similar boat...it is so stressful and difficult to understand. As I understand it is that has long as you secured the client booking prior to maternity leave you are all ok. I found a really good website...the best explanations I have seen so far. It is saved on my laptop at home, I can send you this once I am home tonight.

it really is so confusing isn't it?
Oh thank you that would be really kind. I tried to look it up online but it's honestly so confusing with a lot of contradicting information. I will also check with my accountant but I wanted to see if it was a known thing here first.
I'll let you know if I do ask my accountant, what she says!

Since you’re still eligible to do 10 kit days while on maternity, I would assume that receiving this one payment won’t impact your MA.
Also, how will they know what you have coming in until you declare it?

that's a good point! I don't know if kit days apply to self employment? But I think I read you can work up to 10 days so that's probably what I read about. I really wish the information out there was more straight forward. Add on top pregnancy brain and it makes it all so overwhelming 🙈😂

yeah they really don’t make it straight forward.

https://maternityaction.org.uk/advice/maternity-and-parental-rights-for-self-employed-parents/ this is the website I found helpful. I'll be really interested to see what your accountant says.

Not much advice but I’d imagine if the date is on the invoice then that’s your proof if you ever to prove it. I’m a self employed hairdresser I called MA on my first maternity leave and we are allowed to do 10 KIT days as long as you keep a note and call them to let them know dates.
You could always call them and ask to double check because they never make things simple x

Hi, as long as you did the work before the MA start date (and invoice), you can receive money for work already completed. One of my regular-ish jobs is notorious for late payment (they do 30 day terms and then unofficial 7 days for the invoice to actually be paid by financial department) and so I did receive the money for that job while I was on MA.

Keeping in touch days have changed since I had my kid - Maternity Action website that was linked above also has useful info on this
https://maternityaction.org.uk/advice/keeping-in-touch-days/
But basically you get 10, if you work more then 10 days, and the MA period hasn’t, if ended the work pattern has changed, you can be assessed as being part time so still receive a portion of weekly MA. At least that’s how my friend explained it to me - DWP seem to assess these cases individually.

thank you Lucy! Super helpful!

Like Lucy said, if you schedule it in advance to be sent or invoice early it won't be a problem. Plus if you have any recurring income like membership subscriptions, that's allowed cause its automatic and you're not working. I'm 5m pp if you've got any questions. I had to pay additional £40!!! In tax to get maternity allowance it's hilarious