MAT B1 Form

[silverangel]

Hi

have just got all the paperwork through from work about maternity leave and have to send them my MAT B1 form. I don't have one of these - do I need to get it from the GP?

Thanks

You get it from your midwife/gp around your 20 week appointment. They can't issue them prior to a certain gestation.

You work don't actually need it until you request you mat leave at 25 weeks.

HTH

i got mine at my appt last week which was 23/24 weeks.

The beauty of the MAT B1 is that gp isn't supposed to issue it before 24 weeks but work need it before 25 weeks. Cue mad dash for gp appt to get it in time to submit mat leave request... what a stupid system!

That's not quite true, like LisMcA says your midwife is supposed to give it to you around 20-23 weeks. But you have to tell your work at the latest 15 weeks before your due date so you should really have plenty of time.

Here we are supposed to get at 24 mw appointment but they never give them to you on time but everyone gets them late at around 32 weeks!! But at my work they just get details in writing and then fill in form once in. There a re about 4 people at work waiting for them too despite being over 30 weeks.

Make sure you ask for it, I didn't get mine until 31 weeks when I asked for it, they don't seem to give it by default (that or my midwife just kept forgetting).

It's not true that you need to give it to your employer by 25 weeks. You have to give notice in writing that you intend to take maternity leave by 25 weeks but the MAT B1 is for claiming SMP, not requesting ML. MAT B1 certificate and request for SMP must be given 28 days before you intend to leave.

My form to request maternity leave for work specifically requested submission of the MAT B1 certificate and had a space for the HR person to fill in that they had seen it and included a copy of it. So I did need a MAT B1 form by 25 weeks, which I did get but it was all a bit of a kerfuffle (has happened twice, the middle pregnancy I remembered to ask midwife who was happy to give it earlier).

Also with later pregnancy, I had no mw appointment from 16 weeks to 28 weeks so did have to make a special appointment for the MAT B1.

i just had exectly the same midwife appoitments at 16 & 28 weeks Told by midwife that matB1 can't be issued before 20 weeks and work telling me it has to be submitted with application for materntiy leave by week 25. Had to ask for it to be done and collected it from the surgery they made a big fuss like i was causing a problem for no reason The system all seems a bit mad to me especially as i work for the nhs

I got mine stamped by antenatal clinic at 20 week scan I think. It was 4.5 years ago so could be wrong.......

Does dh need a copy of matb1 to request paternity leave?

Shaz your DHs work may ask to see the MATB1, however, it belongs to you not your DH and the have no right to demand to see it/have a copy of it.

Can I also add that I handed my form in before my 25th week, however when I was 30 weeks HR contact be to say they hadn't received it (ie. Lost it) and could i get a copy from my MW. Politely told them no, they had to find it and miraculously they did! So they say they need it at 25 weeks, but my suspicion is they don't actually need it until you go on leave and they are claiming SMP back fro you. Only my opinion though, and my HR dept are crap!