Civil Service Maternity Pay

[Mami1234]

Hi,

I work for the civil service and I’ve just returned to work following maternity leave. I would love to try for another baby but I’m worried about maternity pay. After a years service we are entitled to enhanced pay which is 6 months of your usual salary and then 3 months statutory. My question is do I need to complete another’s years service before starting my 2nd lot of maternity leave?
I’ve looked at our HR Policy but it’s not clear.
Thank you

No. Maternity leave is not classed as a break in service so as long as you are working between weeks 17-25 and qualify for SMP then you'll qualify for enhanced again. I went back 6 weeks pregnant after my first. X

Not likely. Half my colleagues have come back from Mat leave already pregnant with the next!

No, you're fine to take another lot of maternity leave and pay straight away. I think you just have to agree to go back for a certain length of time afterwards or pay some back.

I'm about to go on my 2nd lot of maternity leave with the CS (but went back to work in the middle for 2yrs) and I have had to agree to do at least month when return or I have to pay some back. I assume if its 2 close together you'd need to do a bit longer maybe?

Hi Op, a civil service worker here and what has been said above is right. I went on maternity leave in November 2019 and went back after 6 months in May 2020. I am now pregnant again and beginning maternity leave at the end of October when I will get another set of maternity pay, six months full pay and 3 months statutory.

The only issue is that your statutory mat pay is worked out based on your qualifying period so if you were earning less during that time, your statutory pay would be less but you'd still be entitled to it.