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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:
cindarellasbelly · 14/07/2021 14:07

Yes, that is amazing mat leave. Where do you live that full time childcare is only £500 a month?! I'm pregnant with no 2, no enhancement to mat leave, can't withdraw DD1 from her childcare or we'll lose her place so have had to save to cover that cost and when they both start it will be over 2k/month.

Vodkabulary · 14/07/2021 14:07

Yep good deal.
Obviously if you’re used to more invoke coming in it’s a bit of a shock but that’s more than some people earn in a month!

I got 6 months full pay (CS) then 3 months sat Mat pay and 3 months unpaid and I know I was bloody lucky! I’ve got lots of friends who get much much less from the outset.

Invisimamma · 14/07/2021 14:08

Seems very good to me. I got statutory which was about £130 per week, then nothing after 9 months (I took 12 months, then a month annual leave).

Where in the country are you that nursery is so cheap? Ours was £50 per day so around £1000 per month for full time. This was 5 year ago!

Vetyveriohohoh · 14/07/2021 14:09

It’s incredible. My pay dropped around 80% after 6 weeks for DC1, second time round I got 50% for 6 months which I thought was amazing

oblada · 14/07/2021 14:09

And yes of course if youre in the public sector your benefits will be quite cushy - did you not know?

Inmypjsagain · 14/07/2021 14:09

OP, really childcare for £500 a month? Or a week? My local nurseries are £2,000 a month 😭

Original poster
newmummy21 · 14/07/2021 14:09

@oblada

Yes it is very generous mat pay. And I'm surprised you didn't work this out before opting to have a child really. I've had at statutory pay for all my 4 mat leaves. Normally on 2800/2900 net per month but instead getting about 800 statutory pay (more in the first 6 weeks). We make do.

What do you mean you're surprised I didn't work it out before opting to have a child? I did work it out - i contacted my HR / payroll department before I got pregnant and asked them to calculate what I would be entitled to and this is what they are paying me. Hence how I knew the amount I'd need to save in advance during my pregnancy to cover the shortfall. The part I didn't know that has surprised me (hence the thread) is that some people cope on far less and the NHS seemingly has an extremely generous mat leave package. Despite my £800 monthly loss.

OP posts:
Cooldryplace · 14/07/2021 14:10

This is the sort of thing no one takes into account when talking about NHS pay.

My BIL just had 2 years sick on full pay and then retired 10 years early on a full pension. OK maybe he could have earned more in the private sector when he was well (he worked in IT) but I don't know anywhere in the private sector that would have paid so welp during his illness.

Original poster
newmummy21 · 14/07/2021 14:10

@H328

So your take home is £16,200 for the 9 months. On SMP it would be approx £9653 for that same period.

Jesus 😳 how do people do it??

OP posts:
Original poster
newmummy21 · 14/07/2021 14:11

@cindarellasbelly

Yes, that is amazing mat leave. Where do you live that full time childcare is only £500 a month?! I'm pregnant with no 2, no enhancement to mat leave, can't withdraw DD1 from her childcare or we'll lose her place so have had to save to cover that cost and when they both start it will be over 2k/month.

North east of England.

OP posts:
NavigatingAdolescence · 14/07/2021 14:11

NHS

That’s not right then.

NHS May pay is 8 weeks full pay, 18 weeks half pay plus SMP and 13 weeks SMP only.

HalfShrunkMoreToGo · 14/07/2021 14:11

Where are you getting a FT nursery place for £500 a month, we had a very reasonably priced nursery at £43 a day but that still came out at the better part of £1000 a month?

hibbledibble · 14/07/2021 14:11

That's incredibly generous maternity pay. I got far less in the nhs

RobinPenguins · 14/07/2021 14:12

And yes of course if youre in the public sector your benefits will be quite cushy - did you not know?

Civil service/NHS tend to be excellent, local authorities not so much.

Original poster
newmummy21 · 14/07/2021 14:12

@oblada

And yes of course if youre in the public sector your benefits will be quite cushy - did you not know?

No, I've never been on mat leave before, or any type of leave. I've always just worked in my job FT. So call me naive but no, I didn't realise

OP posts:
user2520 · 14/07/2021 14:12

SMP over here. Getting £604 a month! I normally take home £1900 a month. So yes it's very good and you are very lucky!

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

@NavigatingAdolescence

NHS

That’s not right then.

NHS May pay is 8 weeks full pay, 18 weeks half pay plus SMP and 13 weeks SMP only.

Yep. With the option to take this as equal payments across the duration of my leave, which is 9 months. Hence I don't get more at the start and less at the end - I get the full 9 months entitlement spread over 9 equal payments

OP posts:
HappyDaysToCome · 14/07/2021 14:14

I remember my friend who worked in public sector moaning about needing to go back after six months because it was going down to SMP - she’d been paid full pay up to then. I think she assumed that because I’d taken 12 months off that my private sector employer was giving me much more maternity pay - um, no, 6 weeks full pay then SMP plus car allowance!

That was 10 years ago, my old employer is a bit better than that these days. But plenty of women are still shocked at how low maternity pay is, my younger colleagues have no idea.

H328 · 14/07/2021 14:14

I think with NHS maternity pay you can elect to have it split equally across your mat leave rather than a larger amount for the first few months and gradually dropping. Is that what you've done OP?

And the childcare is only £25 per day? For a full day? Is it subsidised in some way? I'm also in the North and it's minimum £50 per day here.

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

@HalfShrunkMoreToGo

Where are you getting a FT nursery place for £500 a month, we had a very reasonably priced nursery at £43 a day but that still came out at the better part of £1000 a month?

North east

OP posts:
wanderedlonelyasacloud · 14/07/2021 14:15

Just chiming in that I'll get statutory maternity pay only when I go on maternity leave so I will lose around £1500 a month.

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

@HalfShrunkMoreToGo

That's with the government tax free childcare element (20%) taken off

OP posts:
Pancakepipsqueak · 14/07/2021 14:15

Also NHS and on Mat leave. We are “lucky” and I put it in inverted commas because I think it should be the standard!
I don’t come out with the same as you (am band 5) but we make do. I also took it over 10 months.

H328 · 14/07/2021 14:15

Ah sorry I see you've answered the question about splitting it equally.

Cornishmumofone · 14/07/2021 14:15

Mine's the same as @DataColour I also work in a uni.