Adoption Allowance

Adoption Allowance (ADA) is a benefit which is intended to help you take time off work to be with the child or children you are adopting. ADA may be paid for a maximum of 39 weeks, starting at the earliest 2 weeks before the child (or children) is placed with you and at the latest the day after placement. Either you or your partner can make the claim to ADA.

Basic qualifying conditions

To qualify for ADA you must:

• be a person with whom a child is, or is expected to be, placed for adoption under Isle of Man law
• have stopped work, or be taking leave from employment
• have worked in employed earners employment for at least 26 weeks of the 66 weeks immediately preceding the week in which you are told you have been matched with a child, and
• in any 13 weeks of the same 66 week period have had average earnings of not less than the adoption allowance threshold (£30 for the 2013/14 tax year)

How and when to claim

You must complete the claim form ADA1 (enclosing the matching certificate ADA2 and wage slips for the selected 13 weeks) and send it to:

Claims should be submitted 4 weeks before the date you want the allowance to start. The earliest the adoption allowance period can start is 2 weeks before the child is placed for adoption, and the latest, if you are working on the day of placement, is the day after placement. Your partner may be able to claim Paternity Allowance for up to 2 weeks if they take time off work to offer support.

Payment

Payment is made by direct credit into a bank or building society account or by cheque which you can cash at the Post Office.

See downloadable documents for more information on Adoption Allowance.