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Original poster

Maternity pay - need some help understanding

26 replies

Gifgaf · 29/03/2025 22:32

Currently on maternity leave and have been recieving my usual fully pay. However, I am struggling to understand what I will be getting paid now from X period.

This is what the letter says:

You will receive Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) for the first 39 weeks of your absence,
topped up to full pay by Occupational Maternity Pay (OMP) for the first 26 weeks. SMP is
paid at two rates, 6 weeks higher rate at 90% of your average weekly NIable earnings,
followed by 33 weeks lower rate SMP (or 90% of average weekly Niable earnings
[whichever is lower]).
Payments will be made on your normal payday during the Maternity Pay Period. Whilst you
are in the full pay period of your Maternity leave, you can expect your pay (SMP + OMP) to
be in line with what you would have received in annual salary each month.
Your OMP (full pay period) will end on 18 June 2025.
Your SMP (statutory pay period) will end on 17 September 2025 –

Please can someone break this down in layman terms because my brain is simply not understand if I will be getting £184.04 per week (got this figure from gov website) or 90% if my weekly earnings.

OP posts:
murasaki · 29/03/2025 22:37

I think its full pay for 26 weeks then SMP for 12 so the £184. The 90 percent only applies if you weren't getting OMP to top it up at the beginning.

dementedpixie · 29/03/2025 22:38

After the first 26 weeks you will get either 90% of salary or £184.04 per week whichever is lower. This is only applying to you from 26 weeks to 39 weeks at which point you will have no pay.

You will be on full pay (SMP + OMP) until 18June and then just SMP between 18June and 17September (which will be the amount i highlighted above)

HateThese4Leggedbeasts · 29/03/2025 22:43

From your perspective, the smp is irrelevant in the first 26 weeks. You will get full pay. (It makes a difference to your employer as they have to pay less to top up SMP to full pay).

After 18th June you will receive the lower weekly pay until 39 weeks (so 13 weeks at this rate).

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Antenatal & postnatal Employment advice Families General money
Original poster
Gifgaf · 29/03/2025 22:56

Thanks all, so £184 for the month comes to £736 for the month. I am feeling a bit stressed about it now because my rent is way higher than that. Does anyone know if I could possibly ask for help in that time only ?

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 29/03/2025 23:03

Help from who?
Do you live with a partner?
Do you claim universal credit?

LIZS · 29/03/2025 23:09

Basic smp from 19 June to 17 September then nothing. Can you save from your current full maternity pay.(Tbh that is more than most receive). Do you have a partner? Have you claimed Child Benefit?

RatedDoingMagic · 29/03/2025 23:11

Gifgaf · 29/03/2025 22:56

Thanks all, so £184 for the month comes to £736 for the month. I am feeling a bit stressed about it now because my rent is way higher than that. Does anyone know if I could possibly ask for help in that time only ?

You can theoretically put in a claim for Universal Credit during the 13 weeks when you are just getting the basic SMP rate. Your SMP will be treated as Earned Income so will reducr the UC you get. If you have savings of more than £16k you won't qualify, and if you have savings of more than £6k but less than £16k your entitlement will reduce on a sliding scale.

If you have a partner who is earning you are unlikely to qualify for anything, but if you are a single parent you might. Whether you get help with rent will depend on whether the rent you are paying is in keeping with the expected amount for a household of your size - if you have a home that is more expensive (because usually you are able to cover it from your salary) then they won't help with that aspect.

The normal thing to do is to live frugally on eg 75% of your normal take-home-pay during the 26 weeks at full pay and then live off savings during the last 13 weeks. If you've just been spending it all it's a bit late to do that.

LIZS · 29/03/2025 23:11

And do you plan to go back to work, as often omp is conditional on returning for a minimum period.

Original poster
Gifgaf · 29/03/2025 23:14

dementedpixie · 29/03/2025 23:03

Help from who?
Do you live with a partner?
Do you claim universal credit?

No, I don't get help from anywhere but was wondering if I was unable to pay my rent what would someone do in that position.

OP posts:
LIZS · 29/03/2025 23:16

Will baby’s father not be contributing? Otherwise you may have to return to work sooner than you planned

Original poster
Gifgaf · 29/03/2025 23:16

LIZS · 29/03/2025 23:11

And do you plan to go back to work, as often omp is conditional on returning for a minimum period.

Yes I plan to go back to work.

OP posts:
RatedDoingMagic · 29/03/2025 23:18

Gifgaf · 29/03/2025 23:14

No, I don't get help from anywhere but was wondering if I was unable to pay my rent what would someone do in that position.

Show quote history

Most people in your position would probably live off credit cards for a couple of months and arrange to go back to work after 8 months of ML in order to get the money rolling in again. The full year off generally only works for those with plenty of support/savings/etc.

Original poster
Gifgaf · 29/03/2025 23:29

RatedDoingMagic · 29/03/2025 23:18

Most people in your position would probably live off credit cards for a couple of months and arrange to go back to work after 8 months of ML in order to get the money rolling in again. The full year off generally only works for those with plenty of support/savings/etc.

Show quote history

I am just going to have to save what I can in the next 3 months so that I don't fall short on atleast rent. My mistake but wish I had more savings to be able to stay off the full year ☹️

Another question if SMP pay ends 17th Sept when would be best for me to go back to work to get my full pay again, would it have to be before 17th Sept ?

OP posts:
TheCurious0range · 29/03/2025 23:36

You will have accrued annual leave while you've been off, most people take a chunk of that before they go back to extend the mat leave they could afford on him pay for a few weeks before returning if you really can't afford to get to the end of SMP, you could go back earlier but use up your annual leave

Original poster
Gifgaf · 29/03/2025 23:37

TheCurious0range · 29/03/2025 23:36

You will have accrued annual leave while you've been off, most people take a chunk of that before they go back to extend the mat leave they could afford on him pay for a few weeks before returning if you really can't afford to get to the end of SMP, you could go back earlier but use up your annual leave

Yes that's a good idea also. An ex manager used her leave to get 1 day a week off until it finished which I thought of doing but I guess I could use some leave up until October and then go back then

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 29/03/2025 23:50

You could maybe do KIT days too in the period you're on SMP (if they top up your wages to full pay on those days)

RosesAndHellebores · 29/03/2025 23:51

So full pay for the first 26 weeks
SMP @ £184 for the next 13 weeks
Then 13 weeks on nil pay but you could offset some a/l against some of those weeks.

If you can't pay your bills when the SMP kicks in, ie, after 26 weeks, then you will have to go back to work. Hopefully you have someone to look after the baby.

It sounds rather difficult.

murasaki · 29/03/2025 23:57

Kit days are a good idea, our place allowed 10.

Original poster
Gifgaf · 29/03/2025 23:59

dementedpixie · 29/03/2025 23:50

You could maybe do KIT days too in the period you're on SMP (if they top up your wages to full pay on those days)

I think I could use 10 KIT days but not sure how that even works now as I handed all my equipment back to technology. I'll have to just save up what I can and use AL for the other weeks. Wish I had the luxury to be with my kids all the time and not worry about money but maybe in another lifetime 🫣

OP posts:
Original poster
Gifgaf · 30/03/2025 00:00

murasaki · 29/03/2025 23:57

Kit days are a good idea, our place allowed 10.

Did you use any? If yes, did it make much of a difference and what kind of things did they have you doing in that period ?

OP posts:
murasaki · 30/03/2025 00:17

It was a university. I didn't use it but people would come in for a couple of meetings, check on the lab, and do some writing in their office for peace and quiet! Rarely a full day tbh, but a full days pay. I've no idea how it would work in other industries, sorry.

murasaki · 30/03/2025 00:18

You could ask HR about them though and see how it would work. Even if just to spend time with your team, meet new staff, get updated on any training, that sort of thing.

murasaki · 30/03/2025 00:23

Actually if you have online training, you could do that from home and still have it count as a kit day...

It's probably about time your H&S, DEI and GDPR courses were re taken, isn't it....😀

Original poster
Gifgaf · 30/03/2025 08:50

murasaki · 30/03/2025 00:23

Actually if you have online training, you could do that from home and still have it count as a kit day...

It's probably about time your H&S, DEI and GDPR courses were re taken, isn't it....😀

Edited

Aha yes that would be quite good I guess. I need to give them 5 weeks notice so I think I'll defo do that

OP posts:
LIZS · 30/03/2025 09:30

You can go back at any point with notice and resume full pay. You could use your KIT days and accrued leave for some weeks preceding your return to work so you receive more than £184 pw for some of those weeks or get full pay for a few weeks after smp runs out in mid September. Have you got childcare organised?

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