Hello -

Just wondering if anyone has managed to get an interim payment for a client awaiting Maternity Allowance? and if so, how?!

My client is due to give birth any time, she has received her last pay from work (she is paid weekly) and is now awaiting MA coming through. She has called them up and been told there is a backlog "call back in a couple of weeks".

According to CPAG handbook pg. 435 'If payment of your MA is delayed, you might be able to get an interim payment'. On pg. 994 of handbook it states 'An intermim payment can be made where it seems that you are or may be entitled to benefit and where...you have claimed it correctly, but it is not possible for the claim...to be dealt with immediately'. I think this should cover my client.

I called a JobCentre Plus in Leeds and was told that they couldn't make an interim payment, they gave me the number for the Maternity Benefits team in Stoke. I called them and they told me they didn't make interim payments ---

Just wondering who does? Does anyone know? Any comments would be appreciated.

As it is at the moment, my client may apply for a Crisis Loan.

Many thanks,

Ann

a policy of never making interim payments would be unlawful, but i doubt this is the real problem for your client. practically it is easier for them to award the benefit than to make an interimn payment, so if the delay is due to a backlog, your difficulty may be in getting them to respond to urgency.
to process MA they need confirmation of the expected date of confinement, relevant year contribution record, and the date claimant last worked. do you know the reason for delay?
when did she claim, when did she finish working?

i haven't seen an MA problem case in years, so i'm not au fait with what is actually happening now - except that the ability to speak to the person dealing with the claim has been lost...: (


is there anything preventing your client from claiming IS, btw?