Statutory Paternity Pay Question.

[usingapseudonym]

My husband has just been told that he is only entitled to SPP whereas we had assumed that his company would be paying him full pay for his 2 weeks paternity leave. I was due yesterday!

His boss has said he could use up some of his time-off-in-lieu that he is acquiring (they don't pay overtime but keep expecting him to work and don't seem to like him ever taking the time off that he is owed!).

My question is - how does that work? Would he basically not get "paternity pay" and just take it off as time off in lieu for the 2 weeks, losing out on the £240 pay?

I'd love for him to just take the 2 weeks and then tell them he's taking the time owed to him after those 2 weeks so I have more help at home (he is away mon-fri) but I'm not sure we could take the loss in earnings. He normally earns £25000 - that would mean we lose a lot wouldn't it?

I'm not great with working out money. Any thoughts welcome.. Thankyou.

It depends how much those 2 weeks are worth to you. We knew all along DH would only get SSP - infact he wrote the company's paternity leave policy as they didn't have one. I had an emcs so could not have coped on my own those weeks. DH then used holiday to take one day off a week for a few weeks to give me a rest and so he could attend some appointments and we could do some 'firsts' together - just working out how we would do normal things like shopping with a baby!

I really want him to take the 2 weeks off (and them some! He's away mon-fri and I might end up with another c section) but trying to work out financial implications.

As he is away much of his salary is taken up with petrol/ accomodation and we live fairly hand to mouth as it is.

He will take it off but I'm unsure what happens if he takes it off as time off in leiu - does he also get SPP on top of that? Or does he lose out?

As it happens I'm terrified of having a c section and then being on my own with 2 kids after 2 weeks. We have been uming and ah-ing about having to pay for some extra help (mothers help or something) but haven't got any money at all - and that was before I found out he wasn't going to get paternity pay!!