2nd baby

[flowerlamp]

Hello :)

I am currently on mat leave. My dh and I are talking about ttc when my mat leave ends so when I go back to work. Would I still qualify for SMP if I fell pregnant quickly. I don't really understand what the gov website is saying. Thanks in advance x

It would depend when you got pregnant etc. SMP looks at your earnings during specific weeks of your pregnancy so it would depend if you were at work during those weeks. Assuming you get pregnant once back at work then yes you'd qualify. However, if you got pregnant before going back eg during the unpaid part of mat leave, you may be eligible for maternity allowance instead (effectively the same as SMP but paid direct by the government instead of by your employer) which looks at a 66 week period.

I only know this cos I got pregnant whilst on mat leave and didn't qualify for SMP and had to apply for maternity allowance instead.

So as long as I got pregnant again while at work. Even if it's right at the start. I would qualify for smp?

I'm in exactly the same position OP. The wording is so confusing though. The guidance I found said you had to be 'employed' which I am, I'm just not currently there! Interested to see what others have experienced.

As long as it's the same employer, yes. It looks at weeks 17- 25 (I think) of your pregnancy to calculate whether you qualify for SMP, and I think you have to have been working for your employer for at least 1 week prior to falling pregnant (ie 26 weeks before 15weeks before your due date).

But bare in mind, even if you got pregnant now chances are you'd qualify for maternity allowance (which can be as much as SMP) as long as you were employed for 66 weeks prior to your second due date and earned more than £33 a week for 13 of those 66 weeks. I think if you only earned the £33 a week though you'd get a lower rate Maternity Allowance. If you earned approx £150 a week for those 13 weeks I think (think being the key word here) you'd get the full maternity allowance (which equals SMP).

I am still so confused. I went on mat leave Feb 2018. Due to go back Feb 2019 but due to how my holiday year is I have been able to take a further month off. So now not due back till April 2019. This is when my dh and I wanted to ttc. So if I fell pregnant in April (big if) would i be entitled to smp?

i would class your annual leave as being back at work, as you will be being paid wages.

Yes OP.