Pregnancy and redundancy

[user1493813421]

HELP! Right will apologise in advance for the long post!
So currently 23 wks pregnant and been recently advised in work that my position may be at risk due to office closure... Not great!!
We have been advised that early next week we will know who has been affected. At this time I will be 24 + 2.
My employment doesn't offer any maternity package but know that I am entitled to SMP 15 weeks prior to due date which is around 7th July, so could be 4 days short of SMP entitlement when they notify us!
I have told my employer at the end of May in a phonecall that I am pregnant and due at the end of October. I have not sent an official notification which know I should but worried that on this notification I need to tell them my due date and they will try their best to wriggle out of SMP. Pregnancy is definitely causing me to be more suspicious than normal!
Is there anyone out there who has been in a similar situation and can offer any advice on this... Really starting to stress me out and could do without this at this time!
Thanks in advance and apols for the rambling post.

[notomatoes]

Can't help on the redundancy sorry, but as it is the government who pays SMP it is not really in their interest to wriggle out of it. Especially if they could be risking a discrimination case. You would also have the option of maternity allowance which is virtually the same (except for the first six weeks so don't panic.

[confusedat23]

I would look into contacting a Union.

I have done several redundancies and NONE of them have happened this quickly ever! I am pretty sure you need to go through a consultation period. I have posted the links below for the Acas guidelines for Small redundanices (under 20 people) and large redunadancies (Over 20 people). These should give you advise on where you stand from a legal point of view as consultation and notice should push you over the boundary for Maternity Pay:

m.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/l/b/Handling-Redundancies-in-small-firms.pdf

www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4256

[user1493813421]

Thanks for replies.
I know the government pay for SMP which is similar to MA so thats not really a problem - apart from the first 6 weeks. Am on a fairly decent salary so would lose quite a lot if I had to take MA as opposed to SMP.
Deep breaths trying not to panic!
We are a small company with fewer than 20 full time employees so know the rules regarding consultation are quite different. We had our original at risk meeting on the 7th of June, I then had my consultation meeting on 23rd June and they have now said we will be advised on the 3rd July as to outcome (was originally supposed to be 28th June today!). I have spoken with ACAS to get some idea and not really able to get a straight answer and wondered whether anyone had experienced similar... Thanks for the links I will have another look and see if I can get some more info.
Such a crap situation to be in!

[Lemondrop99]

I found this website very helpful

www.maternityaction.org.uk

I'm currently going through the same. Basically if you are still employed by your qualifying week (25 weeks pregnant/15 weeks before EDD), your employer is obliged to give you SMP, even if you are made redundant.

Employed includes serving a redundancy notice period. At 23 weeks, I assume you need to hand in your MAT1B form shortly? As long as you are still employed at that point (I can't see you being unemployed in the next few weeks), you should be ok.

This website is great for calculating your various important maternity dates

www.citation.co.uk/maternity-calculator/

[user1493813421]

Hi All,
Thanks for all the helpful replies...
Received the news yesterday that they are closing the office and all 5 of us are being made redundant which is a bit rubbish...
Although they have agreed to keep myself on until I go on mat leave (being out of work for 3 months before taking mat was biggest concern) so can't really argue with that. At least then I will get my SMP unless they fold (but lets hope not!) and redundancy and notice pay so will be better off in the long run apart from not having a job to come back to... But such is life!
Thanks for all your help..