Guest breadback Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 My wife is 6 months pregnant and we are living and working in Oz. She is on my 457 visa as a spouse and is working for an Australian employer. My understanding is that because I'm on a temporary visa, we won't qualify for any Australian government support. Will we receive any support from the UK government? We both worked for years in the UK before moving out here and have therefore paid plenty in National Insurance over the years. I am still on the books of my UK employer, but have not paid any UK National Insurance for a couple of years as I am paid by our Australian office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest31881 Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 The way I understand things (and I may be wrong), is that to qualify for these benefits from the UK government you would need to be resident in the UK, not just a citizen of the UK. However I see no harm in firing off an email and asking the UK... If you don't ask you don't find out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest31881 Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 here is a link about claiming benefits abroad... Not looking good for you.. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/BritonsLivingAbroad/Moneyabroad/DG_4000102 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_shel Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 To be eligible for Satutory Maternity Allowance (from the employer) or Maternity Allowance (from the Government) your wife would have needed to have been employed for the relevant weeks immediately prior to and during her pregnancy! People overseas would still get SMP if they were employed for that period and qualify but it doesn't sound like she was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 No, she won't be eligible. What shel said is my understanding of it (I did research this in the past). There are no avenues open to you that I know of. What I found out was if I worked in the UK for an employer right up to going on maternity leave and had the leave paid for by the employer in the UK, I could then move to Aus and continue to have it paid for the duration by my employer. It is the only way possible. As your wife is working in Aus for an Aus employer already, this obviously doesn't work for you. Anyone claiming Maternity Allowance in the UK then moving overseas while claiming it loses those payments is my understanding. Hence me staying in my job right up to going on maternity leave to ensure its my employer paying my Satutory Maternity Allowance, not the Gov paying Maternity Allowance. So I can hopefully have the freedom to move sooner rather than later after next baby is born. Of course, they could have changed the rules since I looked into all this (a few months back) but I don't recall reading anything new being brought out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 I was enquiring about this today at work (for someone else I hasten to add) and the requirement was having been with the service/company for 12 months before you could claim anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Newmummy Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 it was the same with me, i had worked for my employer for 2 years on my partners 457 visa but because i was a casual employee even though i did 38 hours a week i still wasn't entitled to maternity leave. I was told you had to be full time and worked for the company for 12 months prior. im not too sure about the uk. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest breadback Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 it was the same with me, i had worked for my employer for 2 years on my partners 457 visa but because i was a casual employee even though i did 38 hours a week i still wasn't entitled to maternity leave. I was told you had to be full time and worked for the company for 12 months prior. My wife meets this criteria. She has been a FT, permanent member of staff for well over 12 months. Are you aware of any legislation that would give her Australian benefits? I assumed that the temporary nature of our visa means we get nothing from Oz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest breadback Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Oh well, sounds like we won't be getting anything from the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Newmummy Posted January 4, 2012 Share Posted January 4, 2012 Unfortunately on the 457 visa you literally are entitled to nothing (as we have learnt). I know some companies will not give you maternity leave unless you’re a resident. If you have medi care then you’re covered for the hospital appointments etc my partner and i are currently waiting on residency so we have received nothing on the 457 visa. We have been advised by centre link the minute we are residents we are pretty much entitled to everything including the baby bonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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