Maternity Pay

[kittypower]

I am having a meeting with my MD this afternoon about my maternity pay, can you just tell me, is it right that I get 6 weeks at 90% of my pay and then another 33 weeks as stat pay of £112 a week? Also do I still pay tax on this? What about my holiday allowance, do I just get it up until I leave or am I entitled to the full years allowance?

XX

as far as i know..thats what i get too. You are entitled to holiday acrued while on stat maternity leave. As far as im aware you would pay tax on the 90 pct mat pay, but not the statutory pay? Could be wrong though?
Good luck!

Holiday continues to accrue during maternity leave in the same way it would if you were at work. Whether or not you can carry holiday over from one year to the next will depend on your employer's normal policy. Not sure about tax on SMP, but 6 weeks at 90% is correct.

I'm pretty sure you still get taxed on SMP.
Yes you get your full holiday allowance - so you may need to take some

See here for details on SMP www.dwp.gov.uk/lifeevent/benefits/statutory_maternity_pay.asp#what

(Note that it is 39 weeks SMP which is 6 weeks full pay and 33 at lower rate)

And here for details on maternity leave.

you get taxed and have to pay NI on it all i am afraid including the SMP ends up around £84.40 per week. Only just found this out myself as am off on Mat Leave at end of the week

I think you could probably claim some of the tax back if you take the full ML.

for holiday entitlement you get your contractual rate for the first 6 months (OML) and the statutory minimum rate forthe second 6 months (AML), which I think is 20 days pa

You pay tax & NI on SMP, but if you are on PAYE you will probably end up getting tax refunds in later months of the tax year, as your lower rate SMP will be less than your salary so you will have "overpaid" tax earlier in the tax year.

You are also entitled to any car allowances or other benefits during the OML.

Hi there,

Worth checking on the Open.gov.uk web site, which incorporates the old Tiger web site. It has lots of useful info. Acas.org.uk will also be useful for you.

The bits to get your head around are:
OML: Ordinary maternity leave = first 26 weeks
AML: Additional mat leave = The following 13 weeks
SMP: Maternity pay at 90% for 6 weeks and £112(ish) for the remaining 33 weeks. Your tax situation will depend on your normal earnings and how your company handles payroll.

Holiday (both contractual and statutory, and unless your organisation has a specific policy covering AML) only accrues during OML, so not for the full 39 weeks, and not during the AML period. I am pretty sure you don't accrue any holiday during this time.

I echo everyone else in that normal benefits continue to be due throughout the period of OML, including car allowance, any pension contribitions, private healthcare etc. However none of these are payable after the OML period unless your company has a specific policy. However in my experience if you're just over your OML, most companies don't cancel the various policies because of the hassle factor.

Sorry I may sound like a swot - this is my job though

Good luck!

Cyee, do you know how long somebody has to return to work for after mat leave?

iirc you have to state 4 weeks before your ML end date that you are/are not returning, you may even be expected to give contractural notice if not. If you are paid over and above SMP(+ contractural benefits) it may be made conditional on returning to work after ML for a minimum period but that has to be stated up front before you go on ML and the length of time stipulated can vary.

Longer (unpaid) career breaks are purely discretionary, some companies offer them others not, and even if so it may not cover all levels of job. They then don't have to hold your actual job open and may only give you priority consideration for a suitable job after a certain time away rather than guarantee one. hth

re Cyee's post

AML is actually for 26wks & you do get statutory holiday entitlement

see working_families

Thanks BetsyBoop - I was getting the paid element and AML mixed up

Hi Edie - not sure what your question is? Do you mean before taking a further period of mat leave? Happy to help if I can.

I would like to get a different job. Was told today it would be 3 months to work so not to have to pay mat pay back but it's ok as we thought of a way around it! Thanks

Ah good! They can't impose timeframes for paying back contractual mat pay (and definitely not statutory mat pay) unless this tie-in is part of a policy that has been communicated, so make sure they're not making it up as they go! Good luck

EdieMcredie - It sounds like you already have this in hand, so apoloiges if I'm sound patronising, but did you know you should also be able to use accrued leave to off set any tie-in period you've got? For example I've also got a tie in period of 5 months , but am desperate to leave my job after I've worked it off, as I really want a fresh challenge. One way I've found to cut it down a a little bit is that a month of my tie in period will be taken up by taking the annual leave I'm going to accrue while on Mat leave

hi please help me, i am 31 weeks pregnant and due to take my maternity leave on july 27th. My boss is a dentist and when he takes his holiday i have to t ake mine so on 11th june - 15th june they were away for a week, i had a week holiday to spare so thought id add it on to this week and relax, my boss told me a day before the holiday that it wont be paid because i wont be entitled to the holiday because im on maternity leave from 27 july...is this right? please help me im also off sick with terrible back ache and this is really getting me down, there are so many ins and outs!!!

That not true, you continue to be entitled to your holiday while on maternitiy leave, You can add it before Mat leave starts or when you are due back to work, but are entitled to it.
Good Luck
L

Thank you Lisa, the ins and outs of maternity rights are beggining to really p**s me of lol. My boss is obviously trying to take advantage knowing that i dont know much about my rights this bieng my first baby.

are temps entitled to holiday acrued over mat leave?

Hi Kerryleanne, there is a factsheet on this on www.workingfamilies.org.uk (sorry don't know how to do links), under family zone, fact sheets there is one called rights during maternity leave. It states you are entitled to 20 days statutory holiday a year, 24 days a year from 1st Oct 07, these accrue whilst you are on maternity leave. I'd direct your employer to that site - good luck!

Thanks for your help saturn, i shall print copies of it and decorate his surgery with it..well maybe not..but i'd like to..the sneaky ars*le. lol. kerry

Ate temp entitled to AL normally. I wouldnt know sorry.
Glad to be of help. I have 5 weeks worth of leave before i leave in sept!!!
L

Lisa dont suppose u know of anything to help pregnancy related back pain do u? ive tried a hot water bottle but my baby thinks its fun time when i try and use it and starts to wriggle... a lot!.. which makes it even more uncomfortable! this is my first baby and ive had nothing but back pain and sickness all the way up to now!
kerry xx