Maternity pay/qualifying week confusion

[Salacia]

For some reason I’m finding this really difficult to figure out and it’s making me feel really silly.

If I’m due on the 10th July (so my ‘due week’ is Sun 7th July to Sat 13th) then the qualifying week 15 weeks before is the Sun 24th March to Sat 30th March. I get paid monthly on the 28th so therefore the two months payslips used in the calculation will be the 28th March/28th Feb (as I believe it’s up to and including the 15th week)? Rather than the Feb/Jan payslips?

Is that right? I really should be able to figure this out but something about the wording of the weeks has really confused me.

There is an online calculator on .gov.uk where you can put your payslip dates and amounts in, and it works out the mat pay

from memory, if you have variable pay, or commission/bonuses, the ideal time for them to hit your payslip is when you’re 25 weeks pregnant for them to used when working out the average

The period will be 27 January to 23 March

I don’t have variable pay so that’s not an issue - it’s more working out if I can take part in industrial action (which will be on my Jan payslip) - really don’t want to break the strike but also only a few people know I’m pregnant at work and I’m not ready to tell everyone yet (but feel forced into it by going in).

Bugger - so have I counted back the 15 weeks incorrectly? I thought it was your two payslips before the end of your qualifying week (which would include the March payday) but I guess not?

I feel like such an idiot.

Thanks for the help so far!

https://www.gov.uk/maternity-paternity-calculator

Well you will have variable pay if you strike..!

just use the calculator, once with your strike pay and once with your normal pay and you’ll get the answer

it’s not that complicated

I know that my pay will be lower if I strike, what I’m having difficulty with is working out which payslips will be affected/what my qualifying period actually is rather than the money itself.

I counted back 15 weeks from my due week and got the 24th March - I’d initially read it as the 15th week was included in the pay calculation (as I’ll be paid in that week) so it would be my March/Feb payslips where I wouldn’t participate in industrial action (if announced). A previous poster has pointed out that I’ve misunderstood though and it’ll be the 8 weeks prior to this date in which case it’ll be the 8 week period over Jan/Feb.

All sorted now - I’ll go in and hope nobody says anything and try not to feel too guilty.