Wobbles

Do I have this right ... My SMP can start from 11 weeks before babies due date?

x

6 weeks of 90% pay & the remaining 33 weeks - Standard rate (£112.75 wk) or a rate equal to 90% of your average weekly earnings. You will get whichever rate is lower.

Amanda

Yep, that's right. Crap isn't it?

Wobbles

Bit!

Hmm'ing what I want to do with work tbh!

Amanda

It's why I came back work. We really couldn't afford for me to take any longer than 6 months.

With me being on maternity leave, we were losing over £1000 a month in take home pay, and if I had took the full year, it would have been £1500. How do people survive?

Jo

I've been lucky this time as i was only working P/T anyway, Ant got a promotion so i am sucking all his money away LOL
Mat pay really stinks doesn't it?
When i had Em i had to get crappy little weekend Jobs to keep us going when she was still tiny

Caroline

That's why i work upn to last minute then i get as long as possible off after. Its also why i've gone back to work now and have used up nearly all my holiday.

MrsE

I worked to 37 weeks and finished in May and I'm going back in January but probably only 3 days from work and 1 day from home.

We registered Thomas yesterday so we can now claim the £18 per week and I rang the Tax Credit people today and we can claim something, not much about £20 p/wk but it's better than a kick in the teeth lol.

Not really looking forward to going back to work in January but hey ho I think it does kids good to interact with other kids for a couple of days a week.

Cx

Eelis

It used to be a lot worse, it changed this year giving you longer paid time off. It is crap really but end of the day you can't really expect to be paid by your employer to stay home with your baby lol. I dunno how people manage though, I am lucky that my partner earns decent money but i will have to go back at some point.

I think you need to have been working for your employer for 6 months before the 15th week of your pregnancy before being entitled to maternity/paternity leave and pay (although you must take 2 weeks maternity leave after you give birth).

My big annoyance now is that if I return to work my wages would simply end up going straight to the cost of full time childcare :s

paradysso

if your self employed, can u still get state maternity pay? Im not sure what i will do when the time comes.

Caroline

you get maternity allowance i think which is same amount as SMP £112.75, u don't get 90% of salary for first 6 weeks. I can dig out info for you in a bit and let u know.