No Maternity Leave Benefits, Do I qualify for Short Term Disability?

[Guest NancyG]

I am pregnant and work as an hourly employee for a very small consulting company in NY. Each payperiod a deduction is made towards the NYSDI. My employer has no formal benefits plan available and therefore I will not have any maternity leave benefits.

However, because I am paying towards the NYSDI, would I be able to make a claim once I stop working to deliver? And how much and for how long can I make a claim? Would my employer be required to process a claim or am I to do this myself? If I have to submit the claim myself where and how do I go about doing this? I have asked my employer and he seems pretty clueless. Any help will be gratefully appreciated.

[KIP KRAUS]

See the answers posted on the Miscl. Benefits topics board.