How to put a business case forward for enhanced mat pay

[Bippityboppitybo]

I started a new job last year and found out I was pregnant the week before so I'm obviously not entitled to SMP, I'll only be able to claim maternity allowance. My company offer occupational/enhanced maternity pay which is obviously at their discretion. However, you have to have had a year of service to be eligible. My line manager seems to think that I should be able to put a case forward to HR as they're usually a very forward thinking company and ask them for some form of enhancement. My boss has said he will happily support me in this as I'm an excellent employee and they want me to come back after mat leave.
Has anyone ever done this and been successful? I was going to offer a clawback in my contract and/or them only paying me a fraction of the enhancement rather than the full enhancement.

I haven't done it, bit thinking of the benefit to them, perhaps you can offer an extended period of return, so they are confident you will either return to the job for a decent period of time (so they have their "year", it is simply broken into two chunks, either side of your mat leave) or you must repay the enhanced pay?

@Bippityboppitybo In my experience occupational mat pay is paid to top up SMP. The minimum eligibility is that you must qualify for SMP first.

You may find your employer is generous and so it’s worth asking after all the worst they can say is no.

start with the justification for them paying enhanced mat pay in the first place, and then make the case that this applies just as much to recent employees. don't make it about you specifically, and if your company also offers an enhanced parental leave package for male employees too then include that in the justification too.

enhanced maternity pay makes business sense in general because it enables the business to attract and retain talented and experienced staff, and ensures that employees aren't forced by financial circumstances to return to the work place before they are ready, whilst also ensuring that when they do return they are fully committed to their jobs due to the conditions placed on repayment terms. Whilst it makes business sense to have different rules for those who have been employees for longer, the benefits to the company of having the enhanced package are no less relevant in the case of employees who don't qualify for the existing length of service conditions. It would make sense to for a policy to be at manager's discretion with guidance thar the employee must have passed probation without concerns and is performing well in their post by the time their maternity leave starts. It would also make sense to have a longer period of service that must be completed after return. However, from the point of view of the benefit to the company, an employee who works here for 5 years (total 60 months) and is on maternity leave from month 6 to month 15 is not intrinsically less valuable or less productive than an equivalent employee who is on maternity leave from month 24 to month 33.