Threat of redundancy and maternity leave

[mummaberry]

Help I'm confused...I know that it is very likely that I will be issued with a threat of redundancy notice before the end of this year as the funding for my post will cease on March 31st 2012.
Would i still qualify for statutory maternity leave if I got pregnant before end of March? (Have worked for my employer for 6 years)...

You would def get Maternity Allowance which is the same amount as SMP apart from the first few weeks at 90%.

You would likely qualify up until the formal notice of redundancy is given to you in writing. Rumours don't count, so beware the boss that tries to verbally terrify you.

You'll get SMP up until your last day at work as long as you qualify in the same way as employees not under threat of redundancy.

Your employment ends when your notice runs out not when they tell you. Once you qualify for SMP you'll get paid it either from your employer or if made redundant HMRC will pay it.

Thanks. What if I get made redundant before I would have gone on maternity leave? Would I just start it early then i.e from when I leave work?

No, you start maternity leave any day from 11 weeks before the baby is due to the day the baby is born. You have to take it at latest the day the baby is born.

If you get made redundant you could start mat leave early (if in inside 11 weeks before baby being due) or wait and start when the baby is born.

You can get SMP after you are made redundant but only if you've already qualified for it. So if your post is redundant at the end of March, you will have to have already met the qualifying requirement of still being employed at 15 weeks before your due date. So you need to get a move on...

So I would need to be pregnant by October?

You really need to be 26 weeks/6 months pregnant by end March to be sure, which means getting pregnant in the next couple of weeks, your LMP needs to start by the end of September. You'll be cutting it fine then anyway, in case your scans don't match your own dates.