Unclear guidance regarding Maternity pay

[MrsMallett]

I am early in the first trimester (have not informed my workplace yet) but have looked up the guidance on maternity pay in an attempt to start financial planning for mat leave. I know previously the guidance specified that departmental maternity pay would be based on the average earnings in the 8 weeks before the maternity leave start date, but this information has now been removed. I rang HR (remote call centre) who are unable to clarify how departmental mat pay is calculated, and was told that they would do the calculations based on my specific circumstances when I submit my Mat B1 form...my problem is that this is quite a bit later on and does not help with my financial planning...in the meantime no one can tell me what the calculations are based on...

This is also complicated by the fact that I have taken unpaid parental leave (and will need to use some more in the near future) and I am unsure how this affects my departmental mat pay (or the calculations they will do at 25 ish weeks i.e. I could try to take some annual leave instead if it will affect my mat pay but I would prefer to save the annual leave for later in the pregnancy) and I am unable to find out!!!!

Argh sorry for the long post-I have no idea where to go from here and i'm only trying to get myself financially organised...I just don't understand how no one can tell me what the calculations are based on. Has anyone been in a similar situation or have any ideas/ advice on where to go from here?

AFAIK, it is (at least) the 8 weeks before the 11th week before due date.
So roughly weeks 21-29.

for example

Congratulations!

It is usually the actual earnings during the statutory window of approx 18-26 weeks ,use www.gov.uk/pay-leave-for-parents to calculate what you might get from government. It will take into account unpaid leave for the 90% amount if that affects your pay during the calculation period, but equally could include a bonus or overtime. Whether you qualify for any enhanced pay scheme would vary from one employer to another and even within an employer, and they can set their own terms and conditions (such as needing to return for a minimum period or repay that part). Iiwy I'd look at the Smp amount and treat anything ver and above as a bonus.

Opps, sorry. Lizs dates are right. 15 weeks before due date. So 18-26 weeks of pregnancy aprox.

ML can start 11 weeks before due date.

Thanks for the replies -sorry I'm still getting my head around it all and I was probably a bit unclear-my confusion is around the enhanced pay scheme offered by my workplace (the guidance no longer outlines how this is calculated and no one seems to be able to shed any light...)

There won't be a general rule though, you need to look on the company intranet or arrange to meet hr to discuss. Are you sure such a policy even exists now.

It would seem strange for them to use a different period.

However, if I were you, if they won't clarify, I'd take AL during the time in question and book in your unpaid parental leave for later in the maternity leave. You can always save the pay from the AL for the PL?

The likelihood is that your enhanced ML pay is based on the same as the statutory ML pay. (Anything else makes it far too hard for HR to work out!)