Hi,

I have been receiving some conflicting information about maternity pay for autonamo.

I am 29 years old and 33 weeks pregnant and have been autonamo for the past 3 years. I work full time hours. I was hoping to stop working about now and just have some time to sort out some stuff before teh baby comes but then claim my maternity pay when the baby is born. I read on the Ministerio de Empleo y Seguridad Social website under requirements for maternity cover that:

"Having covered a contribution period of:
If the worker is over 26 years of age on the date of the birth or the date of the administrative or legal decision granting foster care or the legal decision for adoption:

"

I have paid taxes for more than 180 working days over the last 7 years so didn't think it would be a problem to be taking the time off now but claiming my maternity when the baby is born in approx 7 weeks. BUT, my gestor has said that i need to be working up until the date that i leave unless i take the maternity now and claim i have something like back pain and cannot work and get a note from my doctor. Honestly, he doesn't seem to know very much about maternity cover in Spain and has fobbed me off until now when i have said that i am not going to be taking on anymore work now until after my maternity. He has told me things in the past that haven't been correct so i am at a loss now of who to trust. I cannot survive without receiving the maternity cover when i have the baby so definitely don't want to lose it for the sake of not working for a few weeks towards the end.

Any help would be great! I had been told that i would need to go to the social security office in Arroyo-de-la-Miel for information which i did and was told that they couldn't give information about maternity. Any help that anyone can give me would be great!

My understanding from what my friends tell me is that the maternity pay begins when you stop work so I presume that it may not be deferred to when you sellect but I am only going by what is said.

Rosemary

Hi Missrabbit

Your gestor is correct. You must work (and pay social security payments) up until you start maternity leave. You can only start maternity leave when the baby is born. If you want to take it earlier than you need a note from the Dr saying that you are unfit to work.

I am surprised that the Arroyo de la Miel social security office were not helpful. My wife went there for the exact same reason, and they were very helpful. I guess it depends on who you speak to

Yeah, that is what is so frustrating, it seems that it depends who you speak to. They told me that i would have to go to the Malaga office which i plan to do this week.

I still plan to pay my social security, it is just that in my work when i take on a new project it takes about 3 months to complete, this will take me over the baby being born so i kind of had to choose whether to take on any new work and still be working past having my baby or to lay off now until after. I thought that being autonomo/self employed i would be able to do this.

Unfortunately the system isnt flexible. If you go to your Dr and explain the situation then hopefully they will give you a note anyway so you can start maternity leave early.

Of course this will mean that you will need to start work when the baby is 2 or 3 months old which is another unenviable situation. It was so much better when they gave you 2 years free social security contributions, but no money for anything free anymore I'm afraid

My wife is autonomo and since our first son was born at times she has barely earnt enough to pay the monthyl social security contributions, as she is also looking after our son fulltime as well. But it is still worth doing as it means you are contributing to your pension and get the right to a 100 euros child tax relief per month. The other option is to send your baby to nursery at a very young age which we were not comfortable doing.