Missed Maternity by less than two weeks!!

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Just a rant really! So, I'm 5 weeks on the dot today! Trying to work out maternity leave and I have missed the cut off by 13 days! So the difference is that I can only take 6 weeks statutory and will have to use my whole years annual leave to get 3 months off with anywhere near my same level of pay! If I'd have gotten pg two weeks later I'd have had 6 months at 90% pay and 3 at 60%!! Argh!!

When you say you are 5 weeks, do you mean 5 weeks pregnant? If so you haven't missed the cut off.

The cut off is 15 weeks before your due date i.e. Week 25 of pregnancy.

What exactly does your mat policy say? Some of them are worded so confusingly. Most i have come across are based on number of weeks sevice by so many weeks before your EED. So dont panic just yet as you may find your EDD moves when you have your 1st scan which could make the difference - eg. I know exactly the date I dtd that led to the conception of DD so thought i had worked out the EED myself but as they count from the last period date etc which meant that when I went for my 1st scan I was actually 2 weeks further on.

You can claim maternity allowance if you aren't eligible for statutory maternity. It's the same amount as ssp so less than an employers enhanced package but you can take the same amount of time

I'm in a similar position, if I'd have gotten pg 2 weeks and 5 days later I'd have got an extra 6 weeks at full pay

Are you in the U.K.? If so you are entitled to mat leave regardless of when you started. If you aren't entitled to SMP then you might be eligible for mat allowance - check the gov.uk website for info.

Have you worked anywhere else before you started this job? Because if you'll have 26 weeks combined earnings in the 66 weeks before your baby is due, you can claim Maternity Allowance, which is £140.98 per week, or 90% of your earnings if that's less, for 39 weeks.

Why didn't you plan your pregnancy more carefully if you knew this would be such an issue?

Im entitled to full maternity leave but not occupational pay. I have to be working for the company 1 year, 11 weeks before baby's due to qualify. I will have been working there 1 year but will be 13 days short of the 11 weeks iyswim? I have to have the same earnings as e and DH are applying for a spousal visa and SMP will bring me under the required earnings to sponsor him!

@NewIdeasToday Wow what a wonderful idea! Baby is a nice surprise!

Oh that's annoying!

I knew someone in this position at my previous company. Her very understanding midwife apparently left the due date on her MatB1 blank so she could put a date that got her more pay in.

The spousal visa income requirements are so unfair. They're separating families! I hate this government.

Good luck, OP. I hope you can find a way to sort it all out financially.

It's the same amount as ssp

Not quite. You don't get the 6 weeks at 90%.

Thanks everyone it's just so annoying! I suppose I've got to cont blessings and as long as our baby is healthy then everything else will fall into place!

That is so annoying. I qualify for our enhanced mat pay by two weeks of my due date. I was really worried I would miss it. Dont give up hope! Wait until your dating scan, you might get lucky. Good luck.

I had a similar issue my company maternity policy was 5 years of service for 3 months full pay I missed it by 10 days!

This happened to Dsis. HR fudged her annual leave so she received the full package.

When you collect your Mat 1B form, the midwife might fill it out by looking at your notes, or might fill it out asking for your due date taps nose

Haha if only I were that lucky!! I only want the 6 months as DH should "hopefully" be here then and, as baby is his first, he will be SAH while he looks for work!

The same thing happened to me with my first! Missed out by a week! We managed though and I still managed to have ten months off! I felt rich during my subsequent maternity leaves!

I could manage financially but really need DH with me so can't risk falling below the income threshold.

I was exactly the same! Missed my occupational maternity pay by 2 weeks. I just saved like mad. And it was ok.didnt help that DH was retraining at the time so I was the main earner and we had no idea how much he'd earn in a graduate level job.

Worked out fine though and I took a whole year off (6 weeks 90%, 33 weeks £138, 5 weeks £0 then 6 weeks annual leave).