Not returning to work - how does additional mat pay get paid back?

[PrincessScrumpy]

After a lot of thought and maths I simply cannot make te figures work. I have 13wo twins and work part time in a school (admin role). My pay (which is for 44 weeks of the year as I don't get paid for school hols) is less than the childcare will cost by some margin. Originally I thought I'd go back for the necessary 12 weeks so I could keep the additional pay but I don't think the summer hols will count towards my 12 weeks so even taking everything into account I will spend all the additional pay on the childcare and be £600 worse off.

Anyway - if I pay it back in a lump sum, do I pay it back before tax was removed and then claim the tax and national insurance back? If so, how do I do that?

Also, is there anything else I haven't thought about?

Have you looked at working tax credits/childcare element and childcare vouchers?

Childcare vouchers save £50 and we're not entitled to working tax credits as dh earns too much. Childcare will cost about £600 a month more than I earn.

You pay it back after tax. The tax then gets reclaimed as you've not been "paid" as much as you had so the gross figure back to employer is the pre tax amount.

Are you sure they will ask for it back? My employer's rules say additional mat pay has to be repaid if you don't return, but rumour has it that they never actually ask for it back. Of course they are entitled to ask for it back, but I am just saying, maybe you should wait and see if they do actually ask for it back before you pro-actively pay it back to them...

It's a school so I'm sure they's demand it back - probably giving me a day. I've put it in savings.