Can you work a second job whilst on maternity leave?

[Pollysgotacracker]

I am entitled to 6 months' pay with my contract, and I am also signed up to care agencies for whom I do occasional bank work.
I have already looked at my full-time contract and cannot see anything stipulating otherwise, but I am wondering if I could pick up the odd day of work with my care agencies, if I'm well enough to, just to make a bit of extra money, or is this prohibited? I'm in the civil service if anybody has further info.

I imagine my CS employers would be annoyed if I started working somewhere else whilst claiming maternity pay, and I can see why, but I wouldn't be returning to full time work early, it would pretty much be once a week or once every other week.

I think this will be a problem to the extent that your employers are topping to your SMP so that it represents 6 months full pay. You can’t be in receipt of SMP if you are working.

Usually not, no - your SMP will end when you start working again; and your main employer will be claiming SMP and then topping it up to pay you.

If you’ve worked enough for the care agencies during pregnancy, you might be entitled to maternity pay from them too, but it’s a complicated area and not one I’m massively au fait with.

I believe the PPs are correct. If you’re working, regardless of who it’s for, you’re not on maternity leave and therefore you mat pay stops.

Not sure about CS but at the companies i’ve worked for, you also have to declare any second jobs.

Are you in a union? Take their advice. I think it's possible to still be on mat leave from one job but not another. Or speak to your HR department and ask if there are any contractual issues. I'm also CS and I was the director of my limited company still (now wound up) during my mat leave. I did a few days of consultancy here and there.

Thanks a lot for the replies!

Just to concur, you cannot work whilst your employer is claiming smp on your behalf with the exception of kit days. Once that ends the law is hazier especially if you are not receiving any maternity pay but are still on leave

I think the people above are wrong and that you can do bank work for the care agency as you were already employed by them/on their books before the 25th week of pregnancy and had done work for them during this time.

https://maternityaction.org.uk/advice/rights-for-parents-with-more-than-one-job/

I think @dementedpixie is right.

We’re planning to ttc no.2 and I’ve been trying to figure the same thing out.

I have a full time job and also have set up a limited company, my plan is to go on 12 months Mat leave from my job but after 4-6 months do the odd day through my limited company. I believe I just need to be working for my limited company in the qualifying period and imagine this would imply to any second job with a different employer.