Redundancy

[Elliejellie]

I’m 20 weeks pregnant and work in a nursery, at the minute we don’t know what’s going to happen with our jobs but has any one been made redundant while pregnant were you still able to claim statutory maternity pay ?
Thanks

Firstly, try not to worry about being made redundant right now. If that happens, the business has to decide that your position is permanently not needed and as these closures are temporary, that's unlikely.

Moving on, if you do happen to be made redundant – or even if your employer closes permanently – you most likely will be entitled to the usual £148.68/week if you meet certain criteria.

Scenario 1: you're made redundant and your employment end less than 15 weeks before your due date – you are entitled to SMP as usual (6 weeks at 90% pay then £148.68/week following up to 39 weeks in total).

Scenario 2: you're made redundant and your employment ends more than 15 weeks before your due date – you may be entitled to SMA (Statutory Maternity Allowance, which is £148.68/week) for 39 weeks if you meet the following criteria:
• You have been employed for at least 26 weeks of the 66 weeks before your due date
• AND you earn more than £30/week.

Scenario 3: Your employer closes down permanently less than 15 weeks before your due date – the government pays your SMP.

Scenario 4: Your employer closes down permanently more than 15 weeks before your due date – same as scenario 2 if you meet the criteria.

You may find these articles on redundancy and SMA useful:
maternityaction.org.uk/advice/redundancy-during-pregnancy-and-maternity-leave/
www.gov.uk/maternity-allowance/eligibility.

@Williams3001

Thank you so much for that post. I have just lost my job this week due the the virus and have been at a total lost, and struggling to get straight answers anywhere. So thank you very much, you've made a very worried over emotional 22 week pregnant women a little sane again!

OP - I hope all works out for you ❤️