Shared parental leave - am I best not to?

[cazzabazz]

I'm currently 14 weeks pregnant and my DH has said he's very keen to have shared parental leave once the baby's born, i.e. I'll take the first half, and he'll take the second half. However, I'm confused by all the various websites on the matter, and whether it'll be feasible for us - I have a low salary in my full-time job, whereas my DH earns three times as much as me, so if he took the second half of the parental leave, am I right in thinking that the only salary coming in for those few months would be mine? If so, then my salary alone would not be able to support the family....I don't want to crush his hopes, but if it means we'd have to live off my meagre wage for that time then I can't see how we could manage....can anyone confirm that my understanding is correct?

There is shared parental pay, which is basically the rest of statutory maternity pay, so if you take 26 weeks, there will be 7 weeks of that left he can use up. He will need to check his employer's policy on shared parental leave to see if they offer anything more.

There are two types of maternity pay: statutory and enhanced. most women are entitled to statutory maternity pay. That is 90% of your pay for 6 weeks then £135 for the remainder of 9 months. Some women are offered enhanced maternity pay in addition which is paid by their employer. This varies from employer to employer.

If your dh took time off, he'd be entitled to any remaining statutory maternity pay ie £135 a week. Unless his employer offers enhanced paternity pay.

As I understand it if you're dh took time off he would be entitled

I think what I'm concerned about is the fact that if my dh took over the statutory pay, then the only 'normal' salary coming in would be mine (as his employer wouldn't pay his normal salary if he was on parental leave), and we wouldn't be able to live off that as I earn so little. So if he's the breadwinner, am I right in thinking that it makes no financial sense for him to share the leave, as nice as it would be for him to spend time with the baby?

Only you and your DH can do the sums. Clearly if he earns much more than you, then you'd be worse off financially if he gave up his salary for a few months and took statutory pay only, but only the two of you can decide whether you can afford that/want to do that. Presumably your DH thinks you can manage on that, otherwise he wouldn't be keen to do it?

My partner and I are doing this, but as LO was born on 17th Feb we are under the older scheme. This means once we swap over, that's it. However, the scheme from now on means you can swap back and forth (there are limits on how many times; can't remember what). So maybe you could do a stint, then he cld have some time (maybe when he qualifies for a proportion of his higher wage?), then you could take the final unwaged bit? Obviously this is a little fiddlier (e.g you might be off work for 4 or 5 months, back for a couple, off for another 4) but might work out financially. Employers have to at least consider the request, and although it might seem unsettling for you to be off then back then off, depending on yr job they may see it as better than you being off for (e.g.) a full year.

I'd really encourage you to see if you can make it work - it is slightly simpler for us in that I earn (a bit) more than Dave, but we wld have done it regardless - it's setting up how we want the family to run ie both us being fairly full on in the child rearing. The days when i go a bit mad at the mo (with 12 week old) I find it reassuring to think that he will take his share in the autumn so will truly 'get' the situation- and equally when I have lovely times with Ben I find it nice to think of the two of them having that experience together to.

Sorry for long post, but I really hope lots more couples do the shared leave thing - might not be ideal financially but it's worth trying to work round it I think. the time is priceless etc etc. Also the message it gives LO about mummy and daddy both working at home and outside.