Maternity pay for a second child

[Mrsoztag]

I am just about to return to work at the end of my paid (statutory only) maternity leave, and was wondering if there was a set amount of time you had to be back at work before you were eligible for maternity pay again? If there is is this different if you are going back part time when you used to work full time?

Does this question make any sense as am slightly sleep deprived?!?!?

No not at all. Your length of service keeps accruing while you are on maternity leave so if you were entitled to it before you will be again from that point of view.

SMP is calculated based on average earnings over an 8 week period from weeks 17-25 of pregnancy, so if you are pregnant you need to be back at work by the time you are 17 weeks really. If you are going back part time obviously SMP will be lower as it will be calculated on your new earnings.

The hours of work is irrelevant - i.e. part time etc. That Im certain of. Length of service is usually prescribed in your contract but this is exactly the same for the first mat leave so not much change there....

My initial thought was 12wks. That said you theoretically could be pregnant pretty early on in your first mat leave so its possible they could more or less back to back? (Baby brain and maths don't mix) I would suggest if none comes up with anything more useful (and I think this is a fairly common question on here, so sorry I answered first!) that you should comply to the usual need to tell your boss by about 4mths approx. (Which you probably did first time round).

Assuming congrats are in order (hurrah!), otherwise you are going back and desperate to be off again ASAP - much like me so welcome to a hopeful club!

Of course you would only go back to a similar position, not your previous role necessarily...which may or may not be good news....

Good luck, hope next poster perhaps more certain...?

Thanks ladies, that helps.
LaCiccolina am in the hopeful club!!!!!