maternity leave how long?

[ghostspirit]

Hi there this might seem bit mixed up as i don't know what im talking about.

i have heard that mums can take a year of when they have a baby its split in to 2 26 weeks normal maternity leave then 26 weeks extended maternity leave. i (think) thats what it was called. is everyone entitled to that leave or does it depend on earnings? i dont think im entitled to standard maternity pay because i dont earn enough money. there was an alternitive i forget what its called.

anyway i was wondering if im entitled to 52 weeks of in all. I was out with my sister the other day and she said are you staying of work for 3 months. im not sure where the 3 months came from

also i what is the mat B1 form for. thanks :)

[beth1987]

Have a look on gov.uk site I think it is (or search maternity pay and look for this site), explains things well and will tell you what you can get

[BananaPie]

You are entitled to 52 weeks off, but not all of it paid. Your employer will tell you what exactly you'll qualify for. You can get the mat b1 form from your GP / midwife at about 20 weeks pregnant. You need to give it to your employer to get maternity pay

[chocolatedonut]

Your probably better asking your employer to find out if/what maternity package they offer. I had various options regarding length of leave and how I could be paid. This was dependant on length of service.

A MatB1 form is a slip filled out by your midwife with your estimated due date on it. I had to hand mines into HR alongside my maternity leave forms.

[Lunastarfish]

You are entitled to 52 weeks off. 26 weeks ordinary maternity leave, 26 weeks additional. By law you must have 2 weeks off following the birth. You are only paid for 39 weeks of the 52 but you accrue holiday and are entitled to be paid that (providing you were working before maternity leave and still employed)

[ghostspirit]

thank you luna. i only work term time so i have to take my holidays in the school holidays so cant use leave.

so it seems i would only get the 39 weeks of but can have the 52 if i can afford not to get any money?

my employer seems usless when i asked. she said she dont know she needs to look it up as she has never dealt with it before. maybe i would be better contacting head office

[SilverStars]

Many jobs have time without pay. That is normal and why not everyone has 52 weeks off. Some jobs that do not give any holiday time/pay on maternity leave whereas some people get their normal holiday time accrued and can use that during their 52 weeks so less time with no pay. Many jobs are different; is there anyone in your job who has already had maternity leave who you can ask what they did/got?

[ghostspirit]

no there is not anyone that i can ask. find out sooner or later :)

[Pumpkinnose]

Hello. As PP have said by law you are entitled to 52 weeks leave. You may also I be entitled to receive statutory maternity pay (SMP) for 39 weeks of this from your employer but this depends how long you have worked there and how much you earn. Definitely check with your head office. Some companies also offer employees more money than this.

If you are not entitled to SMP from your employer you might be entitled to maternity allowance direct from the government.

[Rockchick1984]

Try looking at it as separate things - money, and time.

You are entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave, doesn't matter what you earn or how long you've worked for your employer.

You will be eligible for SMP if you earn enough and were employed there before you fell pregnant. I think the cut-off is around £110 a week minimum. This is 90% of your weekly earnings for 6 weeks, then £130ish a week or 90% of your weekly earnings (whichever is lower) for 33 weeks. You can then take the rest of your leave unpaid.

Your employer may offer enhanced maternity pay, but they can't offer you less.

If you don't earn enough to qualify for SMP, you may get Maternity Allowance from the government. It's the same amount but without the 90% for 6 weeks.

You may also get benefits once the baby is born, depending on household income.

Hope that helps a bit :)

[ghostspirit]

thanks rockchick i dont earn enough so mine would be maternity allowance does that mean i only get 6 weeks of work :/ or did you just mean money wise? ie money wont change it will just be decided how much im entiltled to and it will be left at that?

[WorkingBling]

Rock chick has a very clear explanation. One additional point - smp is actually paid by the government, not your employer. Your employer should be talking to their accountant or tax adviser to ensure they register and handle it appropriately via hmrc. It is a common misconception that companies pay this. They claim smp back from the government. Many small companies, if not handling this before, are unaware of this and as a result can be obstructive to the woman going on leave.

This is why you need the matb1 - it's used to prove you are pregnant.

[ghostspirit]

oh ok so the mat b1 if filled in to be sure everything falls into places regarding pay/money to make sure im getting what i should be. so i should have my understanding once the Mat b1 is sorted

[Rockchick1984]

You get the same time off regardless, you are entitled to 52 weeks. If it's maternity allowance that you'll be claiming its 39 weeks that you will get money for - 90% of your salary or £130ish (not sure if exact amount for current tax year) per week, whichever is less.