Qualifying for enhanced mat pay - HELP!

[sakuramiyagi]

Surprise pregnancy discovered this week, which is awesome news. I have only recently started a new job. I'm now getting myself in a flap calculating whether I qualify for my companies enhanced mat pay (6 months full pay).

Can someone take a look at the dates and help me work it out?

Policy: Employed continuously for 26 weeks before qualifying week, 15 weeks before EWC.

Employment start date: 16/07/2018
26th working week ends: Friday, 11/01/2019
Last Period: 25/07/2018
Calculated due date: 01/05/2019
I calculated my EWC as: 28/04/2019
Therefore I calculated my qualifying week as WC: 13/01/2019

By my calculations, I am just across the line to get the enhanced pay.

Do you agree?
Help! My head is bursting

I’m self-employed so don’t have exact experience of this, but know your due date can change based on your scan. My first changed to 4 days later, two of my friends just had theirs change to a week earlier, and 2 days earlier.

That’s the date you’ll get on the form you need to give work, but I don’t think they give it out until past 20 weeks. With such a close margin, I’d personally be assuming and planning as if you won’t get it, while obviously hoping for the best!

@lambdroid That exact situation is making me even more nervous.

Unfortunately, it’s a distinct possibility. You have my sympathy! I only got MA as am self-employed, and had to rely on savings.

Good luck!

If you have a nice midwife you might be able to get her to do the
Matb1 form with a different due date as long as long it's not wildly different. You won't be the first that has asked in any case.

If it comes to that, I'll definitely ask. As my mum says, "Shy bairns, dinnae get"

Thank you for the advice Frazzled2207

I didn’t know you could get a sly fudge on the MATB1 form. I was close and did not get it with a surprise pregnancy. Wish I knew this!!

That's also the qualifying requirements for statutory maternity pay OP. So fingers crossed you meet the requirements otherwise you'll need to be looking at maternity allowance.

Are you sure that’s the occupational pay qualification? Because it’s exactly the same as SMP......

@TittyGolightly I pulled out the policy this morning. This is the excerpt:

"In order to qualify for maternity pay eligible employees must have worked continuously for the Company for 26 weeks prior to the qualifying week (which is the 15th week before your expected week of childbirth (EWC)."

"The Company have enhanced the SMP rates and subject to meeting the eligibility criteria, maternity pay will be paid at the following rates [amount breakdowns]"

"Payment of Company maternity pay is conditional upon you confirming in writing that you intend to return to work for at least 6 months after the end of your maternity leave. If you decide not to return, you must repay any Company maternity pay (but not SMP)."

In my last pregnancy I was given 1 date at booking in and another at my 12 week scan. My GP did the Mat B1 and I pointed out the different dates (although it didn't make that much difference to me but one was slightly preferable). She asked me which date I wanted....and then put an entirely separate 3rd date!

I'm sure there are plenty of people who stick to it like glue but you might be lucky if you need a different date.