Confused by Enhanced Maternity

[LouiseTopaz]

Hello,

I started a new job on the 29th of March and I can't work out the earliest I could fall pregnant to receive enhanced maternity. Would be grateful if someone could give me a date. Thanks :)

offers an enhanced maternity entitlement for all employees who have worked continuously for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before expected week of confinement (EWC).

That wording ("worked continuously for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before expected week of confinement (EWC)") means that you need to not be pregnant when you started.
And pregnancy is measured from the first day of your last period, so essentially you need to have a period after you start. Then you're fine.

Sorry I meant the 28th of Feb

Aghh okay, thank you. So I only need to have worked there for a month?

You need to have been employed for 41 weeks before your EWC. So basically as PP said, you need to be not pregnant when you arrive.

Also OP, you might want to ask MN to move this post. Pregnancy choices isn't really an appropriate board for this kind of question.

yes, basically, they won't give you enhanced pay if you turn pregnant. But if you get pregnant today, by the time you're 25 odd weeks pregnant, you'd have worked there for 26 continuous weeks, so all fine.

Just reported my previous post and rewritten.

15 weeks before EWC, is about 25 weeks (40 less 15).

So if you got pregnant 0 weeks into the job, you’d be 25 weeks pregnant by the time you were 25 weeks into the job. No enhanced mat pay.

if you got pregnant 1 weeks into the job, you’d be 25 weeks pregnant by the time you were 26 weeks into the job. Enhanced mat pay.

Now the term they use is “EWC”, which is 40 weeks from the first day of your last period (note dating scans will refine it, and the official EWC will be on the matb1 form given at 20 weeks, make sure you give it to employer before 25 weeks). So when I say “15 weeks pregnant”, I mean 15 weeks from the first day of your last period. Also bear in mind, it’s only done from a Sunday, so it’s the Sunday before your due date “It begins on the Sunday before your due date, and ends on the Saturday after your due date.”.

Basically wait 1 month til you try.

So if you got pregnant 10 weeks into the job, you’d be 15 weeks pregnant by the time you were 25 weeks into the job. No enhanced mat pay.

No, she has to have worked 26 weeks continuously by the time she is 25 weeks pregnant (ie 15 weeks before EWC).

Thank you, new to the forum I thought pregnancy choices were a different subject. Reported it :)

Best wishes op and congrats on the new job. You don’t learn these things like EWC only being Sunday to Saturday until you’re 20 weeks pregnant and being handed the matb1 form! I found these says really useful on entitlements.

maternity.money
maternityaction.org.uk
workingfamilies.org.uk/articles/calculating-maternity-pay/