Question re freelancing while on maternity leave

[MissMitten]

Hello. I'm on maternity leave and receiving SMP from my employer. I recently did some freelance work for anther company. I'm trying to find information as to whether I should pay back my SMP for the week that I was freelancing and, if so, how to go about doing that. Anybody know? I have looked at the relevant government websites to no avail. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Why would you have to pay it back?

I know that if you work for your employer while on mat leave over and above 10 keeping in touch days then you do have to pay back SMP for that week. I'm unclear as to whether that applies if you work for someone else. I assume you think not?

this thread might help www.mumsnet.com/Talk/employment_issues/583315-doing-some-freelance-work-while-on-maternity-leave-is-it/AllOnOnePage

I think so long as you're getting SMP (not MA) then you can work as a freelancer, if you're declared as being self-employed, without it affecting your SMP

Thanks RobynLou. There seems to be some mixed advice about this, and that thread is encouraging but a few years old. I've figured out that HMRC are the people to ask about this, so will give them a call.

It's DWP who in theory could help you, not HMRC, but Job Centre staff are often poorly trained in issues regarding self employment and maternity leave (which to be fair is not surprising).

Don't worry though, your answer is in black and white here - "If you do any work in a self-employed capacity during your MPP [Maternity Pay Period], then such work will not affect your SMP."

Oh nuts, here is the link.

You can I think. I did this last year.