Civil service maternity pay

[TreasureInMyTummy]

Hello, I am hoping someone may be able to advise me.

I am currently on maternity leave. I got six months full pay, 3 months smp and 3 months none pay. ( it's actually worked out in weeks but I tend to think in months as easier)

I am due to go back from maternity leave October 2018 and I will then take annual leave until January 2019.

I would like to try to get pregnant to have a close age gap between siblings but not sure when is the right time to get full maternity pay for six months again.

I work in the civil service and I am confused about the hr policy wording - ' the he service centre will determine your continuous paid service in the civil service as at 15 weeks before ewc.... for this purpose only we will treat any previous additional (unpaid) maternity leave ... as continuous paid service'

I don't know whether that means my six months paid maternity leave counts as continuous service or it only starts from when my 3 months unpaid leave started.

It goes on to say 'if at 15 weeks before your ewc you have continuous paid service of at least 52 weeks ( and you are being paid at the start of your maternity leave ) then you may take up to 26 weeks contractually paid maternity leave. '

So I am trying to work out what counts as paid service to work out when I can start trying to get pregnant. If only unpaid maternity leave counts then I couldn't try to get pregnant until after feb 2019.

If paid maternity leave counts as paid service then I could try to get pregnant after June 2018 so that I would be at least 16 weeks pregnant when I return to work for smp purposes.

I wish the guidance was easier to understand - can anyone help? Does full pay maternity leave count as paid service?

Thank you

Thanks @Darbs76

Hi,

I appreciate this is an old comment, but I was wondering if you ever found out the answer? Me and my husband want to start trying but I have just been offered promotion in another civil service department I have been with the civil service in my current department for 2 years so was wondering if my service would carry on to the new department or if i would have to do 6 months again? Thanks

Hey I’m just a bit confused I work for civil service and got 6 months full pay maternity
I due to go back end of January but I’m already 9 weeks pregnant
So il be due 1st July
So be il work for around 4 months inbetween
Will I get the 6 months full pay again
Prior to my first maternity leave I worked 2 years
Thabk you

@Fisheries345 I know this is a couple of months late but they will treat your service as continuous.

@Mummy134 it will depend partly on your departments policy wording. The most important thing is to make sure you will be eligible for SMP, in particular what your earnings are during the qualifying period.

Use this on line calculator www.gov.uk/pay-leave-for-parents to make sure you are working during the 8 week relevant period as this is the part many in your situation miss and then lose eligibility.

As it is such a short period consider going back full time to get maximum maternity pay.

@Mummy134 it will depend on your department. for the record mine says 12 months qualifying time with maternity leave being included as qualifying time. I reckon most will be the same or similar.

My department would also give you the full second paid mat leave (e.g. 26 weeks full pay) in those circumstances.