I fell pregnant about a week and a half after starting work and i qualified x

You should definitely qualify from what i can calculate. I also think you can start mat leave from 11 weeks before your due date which would put you at the beginning of March I think.

You may also be able to take any unusued holiday before your leave as well so you could leave that little bit earlier.. but you would need to check that with your employer.

xx

to be honest knowing they moving end march would be happy to stay with them till then just really worried me her saying i would have to work till mid april as dont think i physically could. She runs her own business and knows a lot more about maternity rights than i do and just to want to understand it all so i dont get duped by her.

This isn't right. You can leave work 11 weeks before your baby is due, so for you that is 28th February. You have to have been working for this employer for 25 weeks by 31st January, so you should have started with that employer by or before 2nd August 2009. They will work out your SMP entitlement based on your average earnings between weeks 17 and 25, so for you that is between 6th December and 31st January (up to the last pay day before 31st, which for most WILL be the 31st), so whatever you earn in those 8 weeks, they will take an average of that and you will get 90% of that for the first 6 weeks of your leave. It has nothing to do with when you leave on maternity as you are still employed by them when you go on maternity.

If you started this job after 2nd August, then your employer will need to give you SMP1 form once you have given them your MATB1 which will confirm they cannot pay it and why. You will then need to apply for mat allowance and send the SMP1 form with your application, and claim MA from the govt any time from 28th February onwards (as you are entitled maternity leave from 29th week).

Thank you all very much really put my mind at ease. Next time i actually se and manage to have a conversation with her will specify when i would like to start my leave from and write up letter accordingly.

I used to be a full time nanny so I know what it's like!