Maternity pay - miss out by days - will midwife amend due date on MATB1?

[HayleySteve95]

Hi, I am 19 weeks pregnant and have my 20 week scan on Thursday 2nd December. From my dating scan my due date is 21st April 2022 - however this is an IVF baby and the actual due date should be 26th April. To be entitled to higher rate maternity pay my due date needs to be 2nd May :( I am losing sleep over this and cannot afford to miss out on this maternity pay - I will lose out on nearly £4,000 and won't be able to afford very long off with my baby. Does anyone know when I will get given my MATB1 form? Do you think my midwife would put my due date as 2nd May instead to help me out, or will they refuse and put the due date of 21st April from my dating scan? It's really worrying me - any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[TaVeryMuchLove]

This can’t be for real.

[MynameisJune]

[quote dollygirl12]@MynameisJune not really. It was still a MATB1 form just Part B. My midwife signed it with a different address on the front bit so I had two MATB1 forms, one during the pregnancy and one after the labour.

I don't see the harm in asking. OP can/will ask the midwife and she'll just say no she can't do it. Not the end of the world but the OP should definitely speak to her work instead of getting the midwife to try and do this[/quote]
Where you live has no bearing on whether you get SMP or not, so she wasn’t committing fraud by changing that.

And you seriously think it’s okay for her to ask a registered professional to commit fraud with all the risk that entails?

[toomuchlaundry]

Why didn't you time IVF accordingly?

[InsaneInTheMembraneSweep]

@MrsColon I don't think thats unreasonable really? My first DC was IVF and while we were in the process a new job opportunity came up. I didn't go for it as I'd be in the OP position of not being in a job long enough for enhanced mat pay (luckily I then did fall pregnant on first cycle of IVF). It's not unreasonable to consider this if it's going to have serious financial implications.

[TakeYourFinalPosition]

I don't see the harm in asking.

The impression it’d give the midwife? I mean; they’re not supposed to be judgemental, but you do see this person throughout your pregnancy, labour and for a few days afterwards at least…

Mine has been funny enough with me since I said I wasn’t keen on being induced, and that’s pretty minor compared to asking her to commit fraud and change a date by 12 days… it’s made a fair few appointments a bit awkward and I don’t feel half as confident about her being my midwife now.

[EmpressCixi]

I do regularly go on GoFundMe and donate and I am often surprised at the things others donate to. Things like help so and so be a nail technician...raised over £1,500. Boy has bike stolen...raised £450. Pay for me and my mates to go glamping or to jump out a plane or to swim the channel...hundreds more ££££ donated. Pay for me to buy breast implants....£2k raised.

It’s worth the OP trying. She’s only asking for full maternity and it’s not her fault that law is written so restrictively. It’s not really fair as written anyway.

[dollygirl12]

@MynameisJune you're right, it has nothing to do with SMP. However without my midwife signing a legal document to prove that I was pregnant/had a baby with that specific address, I wouldn't have been able to apply for benefits whilst being on mat leave. I also wouldn't have been able to get the baby's birth certificate with that address. So even though she has no proof of me staying at that address, she still did me a huge favour.
That was my point, that some midwife will do you favours but it just depends on what it is you're asking for.

I'm not sure if you're purposely trying to be dramatic but the OP isn't bribing her or blackmailing her or anything of the sort lol. She's simply wondering if she should ask the question.
As the midwife is most likely going to say no, the OP will either not ask as there's no point or ask anyway as it's not going to hurt.
There's no 'risk' that comes with saying a simple 'no'

It's interesting because there was a similar thread a while ago saying that someone was going to miss out on SMP because of the date given. She asked if it'd be okay for her midwife to push the date back by a few days. The general answer was yes it's okay to ask. Not sure if people are saying now saying because of how long the time difference is but you're acting like she's bullying the midwife into committing fraud or something lol

[BeaLola]

I seriously cannot believe you are asking this. I understnad that its a lot of money but there are other alternatives eg time to save, partner to do more/additional hours etc etc

The FAB NEWS is that you are pregnant & going to have a baby - huge congrats

(not that its relevant but due to other coments yes I do know what its like as I have had IVF - lucky enough back in the day to have 1 funded cycle & then we paid for rest)

[dollygirl12]

@TakeYourFinalPosition

I don't see the harm in asking.

The impression it’d give the midwife? I mean; they’re not supposed to be judgemental, but you do see this person throughout your pregnancy, labour and for a few days afterwards at least…

Mine has been funny enough with me since I said I wasn’t keen on being induced, and that’s pretty minor compared to asking her to commit fraud and change a date by 12 days… it’s made a fair few appointments a bit awkward and I don’t feel half as confident about her being my midwife now.

I guess it depends on the area. In the hospital I gave birth in, the midwife wasn't the one who gave you your MATB1 form. It was just given by one of the women in the waiting room where you'd go to have your blood taken after your scan.

If given by your midwife it may make things a bit awkward depending on the person but again, it isn't the end of the world. £4000 is a lot of money, might as well try your luck🤷‍♀️

Strange that your midwife has been off with you because you didn't want to be induced. Very strange lol

[WheelieBinPrincess]

It’s not that strange, some midwives love to push induction.

[Reduceddutiesboredom]

Congratulations on your pregnancy OP, fantastic news!

Surely while going through IVF you checked your finances, your works contract, decisions about new jobs etc…harsh as it sounds, tough luck. Cut back now, you/ dp do over time/ take on a second job etc. Do not ask your MW to lie for you,

[Scirocco]

@Littleheart5

If it’s an IVF baby I don’t understand why you wouldn’t have waited just one more cycle to do it

That's not really how IVF works. Unless you're fortunate enough to be at a private clinic with no significant waiting list, you wait in the queue and take your treatment slot when it comes up or miss out until another slot becomes available for you. I waited a year from acceptance to starting treatment. There's also no way of knowing if you'll be lucky enough to conceive first time round - success rates for IVF are not high, it's not a way to schedule conception to fit into a lifestyle, it's a medical treatment.

[whitehorsesdonotlie]

You just can't do this. There has to be a cut-off date. It's just unfortunate that your due date is close to it.

But you have time to start saving between now and then...

[SerendipitySunshine]

I am in the same position OP, also an IVF pregnancy, and I miss out on SMP. Saving like mad now to try to get enough to afford maternity leave.

[RedWingBoots]

@Littleheart5

If it’s an IVF baby I don’t understand why you wouldn’t have waited just one more cycle to do it

Conception, whether assisted or not, doesn't work like that.

There is information on conception all over the place now where you can educate yourself.

[BungleandGeorge]

Of course they can’t, it’s fraud for the purposes of you obtaining money you’re not entitled to. Professionals are accountable to their professional body as well as the law and she would get into trouble with both. You perhaps could argue the date that the IVF gives but you can’t ask for some random date in the future. It would also be potentially hazardous for your baby

[Constance1]

Maybe if it was a day or so they might unofficially consider it, but you are asking them to put a different month to the one you are due in. Can I ask if this is such an issue, why didn't you delay IVF for a month? It's not unusual for it to work first time, so you must have known this could happen?

[Aranciata]

£4000 is a lot of money, might as well try your luck🤷‍♀️
No really, I'd rather not ask a midwife to commit fraud.
I'd really rather not be flagged as someone who thought it was okay to do so. Integrity is crucial in my job role.

For those asking why OP didn't delay IVF, it's not always that straightforward, I had many cycles and all decisions were based on response to stims on any given cycle rather than financial implications of waiting or not. Sometimes that approach meant a big financial hit (not for maternity pay but in terms of making it cancelling arrangements last minute, or wasted medication, and added up to way more money than the OP is referring to).
If however if had been my first cycle yes maybe I would have delayed it by one cycle.

[4amstarts]

Oops OP not great planning there especially being an IVF baby

No your due is recalculated at the 12 week scan depending on the size of the baby. Doesn't matter if it's an IVF pregnancy or a natural one (I've had both and both due dates were determined at the 12 week scan and in fact moved earlier by 5 days both times due to size of baby)

Even if you did fudge the dates which is wholly unethical and immoral I would expect most companies start your enhanced pay from the date of giving birth.......

[lunar1]

Please don't put that guilt trip on your midwife.

[Onatree]

Just wow.

[4amstarts]

And in answer to previous poster IVF is fairly structured - yes egg collections might vary a day or three but not by 10 days.....I would have saved myself the stress and started the following month OP to be sure of meeting your enhanced pay but can't go back now obviously

[BungleandGeorge]

Btw they would be expected to report you for asking them to commit a crime for your financial gain. I wouldn’t try your luck as some have suggested

[Pamparam]

What a thing to ask. Lots and lots of people manage without enhanced maternity pay (inc me!). You’ve time to save a bit, look at absolutely everything and see what you can afford to cut.

[Tee20x]

Of course they wouldn't do that - what would make you think that they would? Since it was an IVF baby were you not able to save in the run up knowing that you'd be trying to conceive?