To ask about maternity pay?

[excitedforbaby9]

I need advice if possible.
I am a mostly SAHW for various reasons, mostly health reasons and my husband can support us so no worries there. However, i kept my retail job that I’ve had since i was 16 and i work a maximum of 8 hours a week at £9 an hour. So i make around £72 a week. I don’t plan on returning to work after baby is here. Would i be better off with my maternity pay from my work or claiming the government maternity pay and leaving my job as i won’t be returning anyway. Ovbiously i would rather get paid from my employer but I’m trying to work out what will be better for our family money wise so we don’t end up broke! Thanks

By government maternity pay do you mean maternity allowance?

Yes i do sorry, the standard maternity pay

If you take money above stat mat pay from you're employer you'll likely be contracted to return for at least 4 months after your Mat leave or you'll have to pay the money back.

You don't get a choice as far as I know? If your entitled to SMP from your employer, then you can't get maternity allowance from the government. Although after a quick Google you're probably not entitled to SMP from your employer, as to qualify you need to earn at least £118 a week. So you would need to apply for maternity allowance instead.

It depends on your contract e.g. how much maternity pay you get, whether you're expected to pay it back and if so how much? Everyone gets the government maternity pay, but some employers also give extra on top of that. Someone in your HR department will be able to speak to you confidentially about it.

Think you are earning under the threshold for smp , so would only be eligible for maternity allowance.

www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/eligibility
You dont earn enough to qualify for SMP

You're not entitled to SMP (paid by your employer).
However, you are entitled to some Maternity Allowance (paid by DWP).
You should also check your general benefit entitlement. You and your partner might also be entitled to universal credit, if not now then after baby is born.
There are online calculations (Turn2Us and Entitledto) or you could ask Citizens Advice.

There is a minimum weekly earnings threshold to qualify for SMP - I don't think you reach it.

Your employer would issue you a form to say you don't qualify, and you use that to claim Maternity Allowance. That's a weekly payment of about 90% of your earnings.

maternityaction.org.uk/advice/maternity-pay-questions/

If you are employed at 15weeks (providing you haven't changed employer whilst pregnant) before your due date you get smp whether you resign before you go on maternity leave anyway so really depends on how pregnant you are. If you are close to 6months pregnant it's probably worth staying at work and resigning whilst on maternity leave. You can also start this early. Saves having to sort out maternity allowance.

Whether you qualify for enhanced maternity pay and if you did, if you have to pay it back depends on your employer policies. Mine doesn't ask for it back even if I don't return. You don't have to pay back smp.

It looks like on maternity allowance you'll get 90% off your normal weekly earnings for 39 weeks

Only missed the fact you earn too little. Probably little difference then.

OP, there's two brackets of maternity allowance. The higher one of around £119 a week, I don't think you'll qualify for unfortunately. But you will be eligible for the lower one - around £39 per week. It's not great, I know. I looked into it myself.

You wouldn't get SMP but MA, that's 90% of your average wage over 13 weeks during your qualifing period. These weeks do not have to be consective and you can choose the highest paid ones if you did overtime. Another thing to think about is the fact that you accrue holiday during mat leave regardless of how you are paid. If you stay employed and take the full year maternity you will be entitled to 5.4 weeks holiday for that year which you could use as your notice period

MA is paid directly to you every 2 weeks btw