To be a little fed up about maternity leave?

[georgie22]

I am not fed up per se as I have had fairly good maternity pay to 6 months and am now going on to SMP for 3 months. What does irritate me is that as working women we get nothing after 9 months - our mortgage, council tax etc. doesn't stop to account for a loss of one income within the household. I have been in the fortunate position to be able to plan for this but it does irritate me that some feckless individuals produce children and then have all their housing costs etc. paid for. It's just another example of how flawed the system is. Then when we return to work we have all the worries regarding childcare and juggling home and work life.

Are my current feelings justified or do I just have more time to dwell on things now? For what it's worth I would hate to be on benefits as I like earning my own money.

georgie you have had generous mat benefits,exceeding stat minimum and more than many. so relatively you have done ok, compared to others.yes having children is a expense,and fair bit juggling but what are you requesting here?prolonged period with salary?when you plan a baby you need to save and adjust spending & lifestyle rather than bemoan someone else alleged great life

I have said numerous times that I am well aware that my maternity provision was good and that I am in the fortunate position to have planned financially for 3 months unpaid leave. I feel for mothers who have no other choice but to return to work earlier than they would like, whilst the concept of work does not appear on the radar of some individuals.

maybe conserve your emotional energies georgie,you're all over the place
being heart broken that mums do work
Indignant that mums dont work
harrumphing about your situation
..really what are you want here?everyone financial and situation varies and perhaps the reality is folk just get on with it. like you should

I'm all over the place? I give up - my position on this is unaltered from the start of the thread! I have not harrumphed once! I'm just feeling for Twoofus who is clearly not overjoyed at her return to work. I don't actually know many moms who are joyous at the initial prospect of leaving a child to go back to work but that's life and we all have to keep a roof over our head and most of us are not in a position to be a SAHM.

I'm harrumphing off to bed now! Nighty night!!

But you clearly are annoyed that you don't get more. Otherwise what is the problem? Do you want others to get less? If you were content with your provision then you wouldn't have started the thread. It is human nature, to a great extent, to look around at what others get and compare it to your wn situation, but it is always useful to remember that if someone on benefits had their money stopped tomorrow, you wouldn't get more as a result. It doesn't work like that.

6 months paid, followed by 3 months statutory is a very good deal. I got the statutory as I work for a small legal aid firm who couldn't afford contractual. If I had had your deal then I might not have had to go back just before 6 months.

Surely I could look at your situation and say why do you get more than me?