Urgent NHS Worker Maternity Pay Calculation

[USaYwHatNow]

Hi,

Hoping someone can help me as I've got myself into a bit of a tizz!

I am a Band 6 non clinical NHS worker on mid Band 6 (£34,000 ish pay point) working 8-4 office hours. I found the 'maternity money' mat pay calculator website which also specialises in maternity leave calculations for NHS workers. This calculated my mat leave payments as between £1,100-£1,200/month as I opted to 'smooth' my salary over the year off.

For context, I pay the 9.whatever% pension, and nothing else salary sacrifice comes out of my wages e.g. I don't have car leasing or bike rental scheme through that, I only really have my pension cone out of my salary.

My payroll Dept (who I'm afraid have been renowned for being rather rubbish, haven't paid me before, overpaid me and wouldn't accept money back etc) have set out my payments as between £800-£900/month. This is currently an estimate and may change but I don't hold out much hope in their calculations...

Now, obviously, I am sliiiightly concerned as every little will help!

Has anyone:

1. gone on mat leave in similar job circs to me and happy to disclose what they received PCM whilst off? As this seems like a huge, huge drop to me. Bigger than I was expecting!

Or

2. used the money matters maternity pay calculator and actually found it accurate and I should just chill the hell out??

Thank you!

I think HR is right.

I got similar with my son. I was mid-point 6 then and worked 8-4.

I would work it out at about £1100 per month.

£34,000 - 9% = about £31,000

Which is roughly £2500 a month before tax and NI. 2 months full pay plus 4 months half pay plus 33 weeks at £150 is around £15000. Less tax and NI and spread over 12 months is £1100 ish. You still pay full pension on your mat pay with the NHS.

I think your HR dept havent added your SMP, and just given you your OMP figure

I didn't stretch my pay over the whole year but I was top band 5, full time and got on average £1600 for 4 months, £700 for 4 months, 4 months of nothing

@AndSoFinally thank you, that is most representative of what I earn currently. My take home is approx £1989/month and the other calculations I've looked at have been around £1,100. I'll email HR again and ask if that's just OMP, I didn't think of that, thank you! The total salary they've calculated is about £11,000 for the year so yes, looks like SMP not added.

My first payment they've calculated for August is about £300?? When my usual take home is £1900 surely that's wrong? I'm expecting a cut but not basically unpaid for that 1st month!?

Hi,

I'm currently middle band 6 and due to go mat leave this summer. Just curious out this turned out for you? How were the payments?
I'm planning on splitting mine over the 12months but waiting to hear back from HR still. Was also thinking to opt out pension while on mat leave to save some money has anyone done this?

So worried about the payments and if I'll survive with them

Hey @Gesoncot its turned out OK 😂

As a non clinical mid band 6, with payments spread out over 12 months and opting out of my pension, my average monthly salary has been about £1300-£1400.

Its due to drop to approx £900 in June and July, but hoping to do some KIT days to bump that up a bit. August and September should then be back to almost full pay as I'm using annual leave to extend my time off.

The way we've managed, is by pooling both mine and my husband's monthly salary, paid the joint bills and then split what's left straight down the middle.

I was top of band 6 when I went off and I got £900-£800 per month. I took it over the year.
There's a 3 salary window they can average and they take 2 salaries out of it and average them. Would help if you have overtime in that period.
Amazed OP got as much considering I earned more and got less for both my mat leaves.

@halfshutknife sorry full disclosure I also opted out of my pension-I thought I'd explained that up thread but just had a quick look back.

Ah, makes a bit more sense but still likely to have been more than me considering I was top of my band and had done some OT/PH enhanced pay shifts.
I found it really hard to work it out and felt that I in no way confident to dispute it.
What's done is done though!

I totally missed the pension bit. I'm glad I didn't opt out cos I'd probably forget to opt back in but I did cancel my professional insurance which saved a wee bit.