Stat Mat and another income...

[Sailtheseas]

I'm working for a company, and while receiving Stat Mat I launched my own business. I went back to work at said company in Decemeber last year after my Stat Mat ended. I'm now ready to 'quit my day job' and go it alone with my own business. I have turned a profit, and will be filing taxes in January for my first year trading 2010/2011. Will I have to pay back the Stat Mat I received during 2010? Suddenly worried!

(I know I wont have to pay back my Enhanced Maternity Pay paid by my company, as have checked the maternity handbook at work)

Any help greatly appreciated.

I don't think you will have to pay it back as my sister has just handed her notice in whilst on Mat leave. I believe she checked with a government department prior to make sure. It maybe worth you going to direct.gov.uk and check there to be sure.

Stat mat is yours.
I got it mine through a temp agency and never went back to work.

okay, great, thank you.

TalkinPeace - so did you claim an income from another source whilst you were getting Sat Mat, and that's fine?

First child - no, I got maternity pay based on my temp earnings (all 6 weeks of it) and then the £50 a week for the extra 8
it was so generous in 1998

Second child - I paid my class 2 and got my 16 weeks of basic money and just did not bill anything till the day it ended.

KIT and all of that was invented later.

You know that Maternity pay does not exist in the USA!

I think this is the link you need, and it states ?If you do any work in a self-employed capacity during your maternity pay period, then such work will not affect your SMP?.

www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/specialist-guides/technical-guidance/ni17a-a-guide-to-maternity/statutory-maternity-pay-smp/working-in-your-maternity-pay/

Llanarth - thanks, brilliant, that's good to have it in writing.

TalkinPeace - I did know that, I lived in the US for 8 years, the American dream isn't all it's cracked up to be, the pizza is amazing though :-)