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Calculating maternity pay

9 replies

feelinghthelove · 28/08/2019 07:53

Can anyone tell me in simple terms how to calculate SMP if I’m paid monthly.
So last month would have been 4 weeks and 3 days, this month should be 4 weeks and 2 days.
How do I calculate the daily rate?
Is it’s £148.68 / the amount of days I normally work or is it divided by 7?
I’ve looked online but it’s so confusing and complicated to just get a simple answer.
I did the calculation on the GOV website before I went on leave and it was all good but then our accounts lady left and it’s been down ever since. Not really something I can afford right now 😫
Any help would be much appreciated.
Thanks

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MumApr18 · 28/08/2019 08:37

So SMP will be based on the average weekly earnings for the 8 weeks prior to your mat leave starting (unless your contract says different, check). So what you would do is:

  • add up the total earnings for those 8 weeks
  • divide by 2 to work out average monthly earnings in the qualifying period
-multiply by 12 to work out average annual earnings -divide by 52 to work out average weekly earnings

Also remember that you may be taxed on your mat pay also - there are a number of online calculators you can use to check.

MumApr18 · 28/08/2019 08:39

Oh sorry forgot to add - if you want to work out a daily rate, divide the average monthly figure you've worked out by the amount of days you work in a month and then you multiply by 7 :)

feelinghthelove · 28/08/2019 09:11

Thanks. So the £148.68 per week statutory doesn’t come in to it? I’m confused? I thought it was the same for most after the 6 weeks at 90%

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Newtothis213 · 28/08/2019 17:12

Yes OP its £146.68 a week after the first 6 weeks at 90%

I got mine today and it was £660 after £40 tax, I'm not sure how its worked out as I got more this month than last month and I'm also paid monthly.

feelinghthelove · 28/08/2019 17:33

That’s what I need to calculate. I’m near the end now. I just need to work out how the £146.68 is divided up over the month. I get paid on the last working day of the month so some months it’s 4 weeks 2 days some months it’s different.
I was about £60 down last month going off the GOV website.
My boss said sage it’s connected to HMRC and that’s what they were told to pay?!

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matlife · 29/08/2019 21:07

@feelinghthelove:
To answer your question: SMP is effectively paid daily for all days of the month (including weekends, public holidays etc) so you should be able to count the number of days in the month and multiply by 146.68/7.

However - even if you get paid on the last day of the month that pay cheque might represent pay for a different period (e.g. 2 weeks arrears, 2 weeks advance, although being paid on the very last day of the month, would suggest the period is for the month in question) your HR team should be able to tell you in theory...

Were you £60 down on the gross pay or the net pay that you received? There are a lot of reasons why the net pay might be down e.g. pension contributions, student loan, attachment of earnings other work benefits. You would need to provide a lot more information to accurately calculate your net pay within +/- £60. Your employer is certainly best placed to do that.

There is a calculator at www.maternity.money that shows take home pay, but it is still an estimate and so may not be accurate to within £60.

If it's your gross maternity pay that is lower (before any deductions) than the .gov maternity pay illustrator that seems more strange...

Can you tell us how much you actually got in which month?

@MumApr18 - calculating average weekly earnings is actually done from (roughly, it's a bit more complicated) 15 to 23 weeks back from due date, rather than the 8 weeks directly before due date. This is mandatory for SMP, so your employer can't choose to do different.

feelinghthelove · 29/08/2019 21:41

Thanks for that.
I came out with £638.44 last month (July) and the GOV website said it should have been £700.92
No wage slip either for the past few months so I can’t even check it 😡
Your response does help though, at least I can double check when I get paid tomorrow.

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modgepodge · 29/08/2019 22:28

My HR lady said some months I will be paid for 4 weeks, others 5. I’ve been on maternity leave since March and have received a different amount every single month so far!! To be fair that was expected at first due to 90% pay for 6 weeks (spread out across March, April and May) but I thought June onewards would be consistent. But I’ve also had tax back that I’ve overpaid the past months too.

I’ve just budgeted as if I’ll get £148x4 each month and any more than that is a bonus!!

Icypop · 29/08/2019 22:53

In order to get approx £700 stat maternity pay you'd be getting paid for 33 days...so its unlikely that the GOV website was right..
Ive just gone back to work but was on statuatory right through my maternity leave. It was generally round about £600ish...varied between about 580 and 660 though

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