Maternity Pay - 2 countries

[Clarita191]

Just wondering if anyone knows... I worked in an EU country for 15 years and took a career break. I discovered I am pregnant and let them know and they have put me on special unpaid pregnancy leave. While on my career break I started a part time job doing something completely different. Now I am a bit confused because I am still entitled to my statutory maternity pay in both the EU country (MUCH higher than the UK) and the UK job. Am I entitled to both? Or am I able to not take anything from UK job and just claim my other one? I have no idea 🫣 doss anyone have similar experience of this?

What is the UK job?
Where are you living now?

Living in the UK now but even when I worked abroad I still lived in the UK but paid my taxes and national insurance to the EU country (Ireland) and then paid voluntary contributions in the UK...

If you had 2 jobs in the UK and qualify for maternity pay in both then you could claim from both jobs so I imagine you could do the same if you qualify for pay in both jobs now.

For SMP you need to have worked for 26 weeks by the time you are 25 weeks pregnant and have earned a minimum of £123 per week and must be an employee.

If you don't qualify for SMP you could claim Maternity Allowance

Will the EU country really pay you maternity pay if you arent currently working for them and are not being paid?

Yep they will because of the contract I'm on and due to medical history 🙂

Hi@Clarita191 ,
Just wanted to follow up in your post here. I am on a similar situation, were you able to claim for the Maternity benefit in Ireland and the Maternity allowance in the UK?
Thanks!😊

I did... I don't know that I was supposed to but it wasn't actually highlighted to anyone until I went to claim for the bridging child benefit payment. They said it happens frequently with cross border workers and it shouldn't but it is up to the individual to sort out. One may have to be paid back but they never look for it in a lump sum.