Maternity Benefit - apply in retrospect? How long to work before.

[dubinamerica]

Hi - I didn't think that I was entitled to maternity benefit because I was contracting and finishing up work before due date but I'm not sure now if I should have been entitled to something from SW. From the oasis website it mentions something about the job finishing within 16 weeks of maternity leave.
I think that I was not as I didn't have enough stamps (last time I leave the country !) - I think that I may have missed out by just a few weeks and because I was contracting anyhow I don't know if I would have been eligible, but is there any way to check this ? would social welfare look at this to determine if I should have gotten this ?

going forward, say I take up a new job and started this september - if i was to take maternity leave around may or june (having worked 9 or 10 months to build up the stamps ) would I be entitled to maternity benefit from SW?

For a civil service job any idea if they would top-up this payment?

 

[aonfocaleile]

Can answer the first question but I know in the Civil Service you receive a top-up payment. I think the way it works is that you are paid as normal and the employer claims the amount you are entitled to under social welfare back from the Dept of Social and Family Affairs.