What If I don't return to work after maternity leave?

[laurenLJ]

Hi All,
I've been off work since last May just before my daughter was born.I received maternity pay for the first 9 months.
I am wondering what the benefit implications would be if i don't go back to work? I work P/T 20 hours a week.At the moment my husband and I have been receiving Child tax credit/working tax credit.
If I give my job voluntarily ,will we lose benefits or (perhaps?)would we get more? up
Thanks in advance!

Not sure about the benefit implications. Though you would have to tell them about your change in circumstance and it would probably affect the money you get. The best thing to do is ring the tax credit helpline as they can give you an approximation of what you would receive under your new circumstances.

The main point I wanted to make was to warn you that you may have to pay back a good chunk of your maternity pay (if not all the non-statutory pay you received) if you don't return for a certain number of weeks. In my case, I have to return for 13 weeks min. You should check with HR.

Well if you make yourself unemployed and you try to submit a claim for Jobseekers Allowance you will be suspended from benefit and the Dept will write to your employer to find out the circumstances surrounding you losing your job, when your employer replies that you resigned your benefit would be disallowed unless you had compelling reasons. You would be a bit stupid to resign and try to claim JSA anyway unless you had compelling reasons why you could not return to that particular job but could do another. Do you think it's reasonable that you should resign and other families should pay tax on their earnings to subsidise you?

Everyone I know has returned for a few months (3-6) before leaving. Id love to know the answer to this though as I cant tell if its true either and (again nobody I know seems to know for sure either) you do have to pay something back either to the Firm concerned or the Gov or just folklore to scare you into returning. Kinda makes sense but Id love to know for sure! Cant find out myself or havent found the right place to look.....

Last sentance on Lady's might be a tad strong, not sure the poster meant others to think she was requesting suggestions on how to be a cheat of some sort!

Will be watching in hope someone answers with the definitive!