Maternity leave and parents leave

[Sweetmotherofallthatisholyabov]

Does anyone know can you take this and maternity leave? Or is it only one parent that can take parents leave?

Both parents can take parental leave. I think it's 26 weeks per child until the child is 13.
So dad can take 26 weeks and mum can take another 26 weeks.
It's up to your employer when and how you take it.
You can take it directly after maternity leave if your employer grants it. Mum can take 26 weeks unpaid maternity leave after paid maternity leave if that's an option.

Hiya, that's parental leave I'm wondering about parents leave- it was 2 weeks and they're talking about increasing it to 5. We looked into my dh taking it before but I'm not sure can I take it either.

There are lots of different types of leave.
Maternity leave - 53weeks, 39 of which is paid.
Shared Parental Leave - when a mother gives up a portion of may leave and shares the leave with her partner. Both parents can be off together and pay is same as mat leave
Parental Leave - unpaid leave for anyone with parental responsibility. It's a total of 18 weeks up to the child's 18th birthday (max 4 weeks per year). Must be taken in blocks of min 1 week and must give 21 days notice. Employers can delay parental leave if your dates are inconvenient.

Typo, 52 weeks mat leave

Do you mean paternity leave? Paid leave for father's?
Google gave me this info.

Paternity leave gives new parents 2 weeks off work (but not for the mother of the child). You can take time off from either employment or self-employment, and can start the leave any time in the first 6 months after the birth or placement in the case of an adoption. Usually, fathers take paternity leave.May 25, 2020

You apply for the payment to social welfare

No, parents leave, i know that if eligible a mother or father can apply I'm just not sure if both can apply. It was only introduced in the last few years, and it's what they're talking about increasing to 5 weeks as a result of Covid and lockdown. It was only new the last time I was pregnant and we assumed it was only for my husband but reading about it now it looks like it's available to mothers too, I'm just not sure if both of us can have it.

OP that's a proposal for next year's budget. Nothing decided yet. Suggestion it would need to be.taken in child's first 2 years.

Ok so I've just rang up. Both parents can apply. Not an either or. And from what I understood, she said the qualifying period is the same as maternity leave so assumedly once you qualify for you you qualify for the other. (We then got into massive complications about my employment status, when one mat leave ended and the next will start, whether I should be on covid payments etc) but they were my two take aways. It is for both parents not just either and if you get mat benefit you'll more than likely qualify for parents benefit.

@devildeepbluesea it's currently from nov2019, 2 weeks and first year of child's life. The 2021 budget is proposing to extend to 5 weeks and 2 years.

It's not paid leave under statutory law though?

It's in the ROI not UK, isn't that right?

ROI. It's two weeks paid leave if you qualify with previous years contributions. €245 a week at the moment. My DH's company tops up to his salary, but they don't have to.