How to survive on maternity allowance

[BrandySnaps1]

I started a new job but missed the cut off to be eligible for maternity pay by 2/3 months. Im now only going to get maternity allowance at £184 per week!!

Anyone else been in this situation? How did you survive? Boss said if I return to work as soon as I can that would solve £ problem but I obv want to spend as much time as I can with baby. Boss has already said she cant give me a year off as its a small team so am in a crap situation

Maternity Leave is a statutory right, your employer cannot insist you return earlier.

Are you a single parent?

Are you with the baby's father? If so, you are a partnership and he has to take on the majority of outgoings during maternity leave. Also, I believe it is a legal requirement for you to be allowed to take a year maternity leave- your employer cannot stop you if you choose to do that. The last 3 months will be unpaid though.

I hate the way society is set up for women. Can't change jobs because if you get pregnant people can try to screw you like this.

She legally has to give you the maternity leave, but not paid.

You try to save up as much as you can now for those first few weeks and then you do what you would have done if you had SMP. SMP is only your full pay for the first 6 weeks (unless you have an enhanced package through your employer), so you would have been on the MA rate for the next 7.5 months of your leave.

I was on MA for both of my maternity leaves (as was self-employed). We cut costs and dh covered the bulk of our expenses. Realistically, if I'd gone back to work, nursery would have cost more than what I was getting in MA anyway, so there was no overall net gain for me returning to work sooner.

Return when you want, child care will eat your wages

thanks everyone. she has already suggested i come back to work after 2 months and is trying not to get maternity cover! its so bizarre. i dont want to be pressurised into something, this is my first baby and i want to enjoy every minute of it

If i leave the job while im away (if it becomes unbearable and too pressurised) would I still get maternity allowance for the remaining time up to 9 months?

Document everything OP.

Tell her to go f@ck herself. She CANNOT decide how long your maternity leave is, and she is not legally allowed to punish you for having a full year should you choose.

You can take up to a year. Maternity allowance is pretty much the same as SMP. SMP covers the first 6 weeks at 90% wage but after that the rate is the same, so a lot of people survive on MA or SMP. You use your savings if you have some, you cut back.

If you leave during your maternity period you wouldn’t need to pay back MA. You would only pay any enhanced maternity leave that was given to you. Which you aren’t entitled to as you haven’t been there long enough. I left on maternity leave and had 13 weeks full pay, so I gave back the full pay minus SMP (6 weeks at 10% pay and 7 weeks at full pay minus the SMP rate). So take the time you want, make sure you aren’t using annual leave for ante natal appointments, go back if it suits you or find something else if it suits you. The rate is ridiculously low but you’ll end up paying a fortune in childcare if you go back so it’s actually an easier adjustment to childcare costs because you’ve not had that money for the last few months anyway.