NHS maternity pay- changing trusts

[Livingmydream25]

Hey!!
Maternity pay policies are confusing me and it's taking a while to hear back from HR teams so I wondered if anyone on here could help.

I'm 13 weeks pregnant and have been working in the NHS for 5 years. I am due to change trusts soon for a promotion. Leaving my current trust end of September and starting my new trust start of November. I will be around 22/23 weeks when I start.

My understanding is that I will get OMP and then need to apply for MA is this correct?

Will I get the full pay if I have a month off in between changing?

Will the pay need to be split between my old trust and new trust?

Any other things I need to think of?

Hi!

A couple of things. Yes, you will lose your NHS maternity leave entitlement and will have to apply for MA. The pay will not be split by your trusts, it will only be paid by your new Trust.

You will also lose your NHS continuous service if you take a month unemployed in between - this will affect your pay and annual leave entitlements.

Thank you! I thought you could take 3 months before losing continuous service but I will speak with my new manager. She has said I can start earlier if needed for the mat pay.

You will keep continuous service (you are right about 3 months) but you will lose some of your pay, as OMP is based on your pay during ‘qualifying weeks’ which are weeks 15-25. If you can start earlier that will help.

Talk it all over with HR though and your union (if you don’t have one now is the time to join!).

Thanks this is helpful.

What do you mean by qualifying weeks?

Will it make a difference that if I start earlier, my first month will likely be at a lower banding?

Will it make a difference that if I start earlier, my first month will likely be at a lower banding?

It might do, if your qualifying weeks fall in that period.

Interesting, I was told that any more than a week and you'd lose continuous service (I switched jobs recently).

Your Trust will calculate your maternity pay based on the qualifying weeks (weeks 15-25). If you're not working then, you may get a lot less.

Thank you. Is that 15 weeks before due date or 15 weeks pregnant?

Hopefully HR also get back to me soon.

Op I’d address all of it with HR, as while there are qualifying weeks for OMP (qualifying weeks are usually 15 weeks pregnant to 25 weeks pregnant. Based on the EDD on your Mat1 form), they don’t apply in the same way if you are promoted (I went up a band during pregnancy after qualifying weeks and my OMP was at the higher band rate!). However I’m not sure this applies if it’s a temporary dip in banding (I presume due to registration delays etc.).

Frustratingly continuous service requirements also vary by trust. It’s typically three months but not always so triple check with where you are going - as it’s that trust that matters for the t&c of your pay!