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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Mat pay - is this "good"??

305 replies

newmummy21 · 14/07/2021 13:02

Just wanting to gauge what's typical, I guess, as this is the first time I've been on mat leave so I have no idea what's normal.

I usually earn 2,600 net in my job. Currently on mat leave and have lost £800 a month so taking home only 1,800 whilst on mat leave. This is a significant loss to our household income and my partner is having to do a lot of overtime to make up the shortfall. We also had to save like mad during my pregnancy to cover this, so we didn't struggle.

I mentioned this to a friend recently and she said "my god that's amazing mat pay, you have no idea how lucky you are, I had next to nothing... " etc,

So... is losing £800 a month really "amazing" for mat pay?? Confused

OP posts:
Unsoliciteddeckpic · 14/07/2021 17:14

No I think its directed at you. Not what smp is, not jealousy. But at your posts.

Original poster
newmummy21 · 14/07/2021 17:15

So I'm going to bow out of this thread now as I honestly did not expect such anger thrown at me. I asked a genuine question about others' experiences.

The combination of poor MH and sleep deprivation means I'm just not in a place to be attacked right now.

Enjoy continuing to rip shreds off me those who wish to.

OP posts:
MouldyPotato · 14/07/2021 17:16

Yes that is very good. Enjoy youre maternity leave! It will fly by at the end.

MaryBoBary · 14/07/2021 17:17

My employer offered 12 weeks of full pay Mat leave which I took. After that it was down to Statutory May Pay (something like £400pm) I couldn't afford that so after using some annual leave for pre due date, I was back at work 3 months later.

My pay would have dropped a similar amount as yours so in my experience it is not unusual to lose that much money. I feel very strongly that the minimum full May pay should be 6 months. I had barest recovered physically in 3 months, let alone mentally and emotionally. I was later signed off on long term sick leave which may well have been avoided if I had been able to have longer Mat leave.

GrandTheftWalrus · 14/07/2021 17:18

Im getting 150 a week mat pay. Before I went off I was getting 130 for 1 12hr shift. So 260 a week as I was only doing 2. Its a very big drop for me.

Nicknacky · 14/07/2021 17:18

@newmummy21 Yes I read it and it didn’t justify you telling her to fuck off. But if you would be happy to say that to someone face to face then I guess that’s just your way of speaking to people.

You mentioned your pnd and struggles and I hope that’s getting better but also consider you don’t know what the person you are sweating at is going through either.

Original poster
newmummy21 · 14/07/2021 17:20

[quote Nicknacky]@newmummy21 Yes I read it and it didn’t justify you telling her to fuck off. But if you would be happy to say that to someone face to face then I guess that’s just your way of speaking to people.

You mentioned your pnd and struggles and I hope that’s getting better but also consider you don’t know what the person you are sweating at is going through either.[/quote]

No, it's my way of speaking to people who make deliberately shitty and goady comments about me wanting to argue with strangers online because my OH isn't home, at a time when I am mentally and emotionally quite vulnerable. You know literally nothing about me. Nothing.

OP posts:
Original poster
newmummy21 · 14/07/2021 17:21

@MaryBoBary

My employer offered 12 weeks of full pay Mat leave which I took. After that it was down to Statutory May Pay (something like £400pm) I couldn't afford that so after using some annual leave for pre due date, I was back at work 3 months later.

My pay would have dropped a similar amount as yours so in my experience it is not unusual to lose that much money. I feel very strongly that the minimum full May pay should be 6 months. I had barest recovered physically in 3 months, let alone mentally and emotionally. I was later signed off on long term sick leave which may well have been avoided if I had been able to have longer Mat leave.

I'm sorry to hear you ended up off sick. I do wonder what situation I'll be in if my PND doesn't drastically improve by time I go back... I hope I find a way to manage.

OP posts:
Original poster
newmummy21 · 14/07/2021 17:28

@MouldyPotato

Yes that is very good. Enjoy youre maternity leave! It will fly by at the end.

Thank you! I'm told it will fly. I want to slow down time Sad

OP posts:
crystaltips98 · 14/07/2021 17:35

You are lucky. Possibly a good employer with good benefits. My local auhority job gave 6 weeks of full pay plus SMP after that so there was a significant drop.
Have a look at Pregnant then Screwed to check out other future pitfalls

Original poster
newmummy21 · 14/07/2021 20:48

@crystaltips98

You are lucky. Possibly a good employer with good benefits. My local auhority job gave 6 weeks of full pay plus SMP after that so there was a significant drop. Have a look at Pregnant then Screwed to check out other future pitfalls
Oh.. pregnant then screwed sounds like a depressing read 🙈 I'll have a look though - thank you!
OP posts:
Pandasarecool · 14/07/2021 22:07

I’d say that’s pretty amazing pay. I received statutory maternity allowance which is even worse that statutory maternity pay. I got £607 a month. That was after a bit of a fight as I was originally offered £27 a week.

PufferFishGoneWrong · 14/07/2021 22:35

I got 4m full pay, then 2m 90% pay and 6m statuary maternity pay. I know how lucky I am. Large private sector. Will get the same again, but no more bambino's here.

With my first it was very different.

H328 · 15/07/2021 08:29

I got 4m full pay, then 2m 90% pay and 6m statuary maternity pay. I know how lucky I am

I read that as £4 million then £2 million then £6 million Blush That would be quite good maternity pay!

Tibtab · 15/07/2021 08:35

Be careful with NHS pension arrears when you start back - they will claw back some of the “missing” pension payments that you miss while on Mat Leave when you start at work again.

KarmaStar · 15/07/2021 08:43

Count your blessings op🌈

Original poster
newmummy21 · 15/07/2021 10:15

@KarmaStar

Count your blessings op🌈

Thanksthank you

OP posts:
Original poster
newmummy21 · 15/07/2021 10:16

@Tibtab

Be careful with NHS pension arrears when you start back - they will claw back some of the “missing” pension payments that you miss while on Mat Leave when you start at work again.

Oh... Confused
I'm still making some pension payments though (just at a lower percentage). Does that make a difference?

OP posts:
ILoveYouILoveYouIDo · 15/07/2021 10:20

I only got smp, so yeah it is amazing

Tibtab · 15/07/2021 10:40

@newmummy21 I wasn’t expecting it as I still made some pension contributions when I was on Mat Leave but apparently they can! I’m not an expert but it happened to me, they are currently taking £100 a month, not sure how long I have to pay arrears for.

Original poster
newmummy21 · 15/07/2021 10:46

[quote Tibtab]@newmummy21 I wasn’t expecting it as I still made some pension contributions when I was on Mat Leave but apparently they can! I’m not an expert but it happened to me, they are currently taking £100 a month, not sure how long I have to pay arrears for.[/quote]

Oh bugger! Another call to payroll it is then to check that out. Thank you for the heads up!

OP posts:
Original poster
newmummy21 · 15/07/2021 10:59

@Tibtab

I've just checked with Payroll. So basically this only affects you I'd have the full 52 weeks of mat leave and take the unpaid weeks as well, because during the unpaid weeks you are making no pension contributions at all. I'm only taking 39 weeks so I won't have a break in making pension contributions, I'm just paying a lesser amount at the moment because my gross pay is less. If that makes sense. Did you take the full year?

OP posts:
Original poster
newmummy21 · 15/07/2021 11:00

Sorry - typos! Hopefully you get the gist Smile

OP posts:
Tibtab · 15/07/2021 11:07

@newmummy21 that makes sense! You are better than my HR department 😂 I took the full 52 weeks and averaged it over the whole period.

Cloudninenine · 15/07/2021 11:08

I get 3 months full pay, 3 months half pay and 3 months statutory. I consider that to be quite good.