Adoption Pay & Leave

[Dww1989]

Hello All,

My husband and I have just been matched with our child at matching panel 😀

I'm looking for some help and advice on leave & pay as it's quite confusing online.
I recently changed jobs after being in the Ambulance service for 1.5 years, and have been working for my new employer for around a month!

Does this basically I'm not entitled to any pay at all, as I haven't been employed by my current employer for 26 weeks minimum???? Surely I am entitled to something. My husband and I were looking to both take 6 months leave each? Has anyone else done this? Or know the best way to look at this situation.

Thanks

That is correct. You are entitled to the leave but no pay. This is where statutory adoption leave differed from maternity leave as you can get mat leave from the government I think. There may be other ways around it. I am wondering if your husband took the first 6 months and your took the second would that make a difference as you would have work for 26 weeks by then. I am not at all sure if that would work but could be worth investigating and considering. Hopefully someone else will be along soon who may know more. Alternatively try the adoption uk forum as it is very active and lots of recent adopters use it who may be able to help.

Dww1989 You need to have worked in your current job for at least 26 weeks as you thought. Did your job security not come up at all in your assessment? It seems surprising that you were allowed to go ahead while changing jobs as SWs like there to be stability/security.

That's correct - you will be entitled to nil. Sorry.
You will have to present your matching certificate and the date entered on that is the date that is counted for the 26 weeks - my dh was literally 26 weeks and 3 days or something!
I'm surprised you were still matched with a child having changed jobs so recently - our LA would not have allowed this! It would have set
us back 6 months as new references would have been required etc...

Sorry posted too soon, I also meant to ask if there is a probationary period in your new job and could this affect whether you are kept on or not?

You can take leave, but you will get no pay. If your husband will get pay, it makes sense for him to take the first 6 months, as the pay is typically weighted to the earlier leave, and you take the second 6 unpaid. It almost always makes sense for the partner with the better package to be the 'primary' adopter, and take the initial leave. You can take 'paternity' leave for two weeks at the start of placement.

There doesn't appear to be an adoption equivalent to the Maternity Allowance for those who change jobs when pregnant, I suppose because adoption does have a bit more of a degree of control/planning over timings.

Sorry to jump on this, but does anyone know the situation if you're self-employed? I have my own business but have no idea what I might and might not be entitled to? I'm assuming not much as (someone has said) you don't get statutory adoption leave like you would maternity?
My husband would take adoption leave from his company as they have a good package, but it might only be for 4-6 months as if he's out of his role for too long he can lose his skills (it's in a medical environment) so I didn't know if there was anything I could do after this time?

I was in the same position. Had taken a new job which was more flexible, our social worker advised me to take it as they were no children available at the time.

Low and behold, 4 weeks later we were matched. We could have managed just about financially however our social worker was able to get us a lump sum payment which was equivalent to how much adoption pay i would have recieved.

It is worth an ask to see if thats something your LA would offer.

As self employed you are entitled to know paid leave. I would imagine in your home study your SW would want to see that you have the finances to cover someone being at home for 1 year - obviously that would have to be a mix of your husbands adoption leave and savings to cover the rest.

Thepinklady77 - I work for myself and have done for 2.5 years, and the LA will get official accounts from my Accountant but I have also given them an up-to-date print out of my business account, which is very healthy. We have done the financial report, and have £1,700 spare a month between us, and I make £5-10k a month, so finances aren't an issue.

My question was, would I be entitled to anything (government wise I guess) being self-employed, when my husband goes back to work, albeit for 3.5 days a week.