Anyone have two jobs when they went on mat leave ?- bit complicated sorry.

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I posted a couple of weeks ago saying I was 9 weeks pg and had an interview. You all gave me good advice and I did not mention this at interview and now have been offered the job. I have accepted verbally but not told them I am pg as I have my first midwife appt next week, when I hope they listen for heartbeat.Then I can at least confirm there is definitely something to tell my new employer about! Assuming they honour their offer and I start work, I am confused firstly about tax if you have two jobs ( I already work part time), Secondly and more importantly, what happens about SMP? I will have the full nine months off my existing job and be on my employers maternity pay for six months and SMP for the last three months. I am aware that I may not qualify for SMP for new job as I won't have worked there long enough (only I day a week so does not bother me) but will I have maternity rights to return to it? Also if I wanted to return to this new job earlier than the other one (feel bad about having nine months off as will only have worked there for five!), would that effect my maternity pay for my old job i.e. do you have to not work for anyone, to get maternity pay?
I guess I feel guilty about new employer who may at worst only get 5 months work out of me and annoyed for me as I would like to have the new job after 2nd babe as it is at weekend and might be the only thing I can do (no childcare cost). However, I can't afford to lose any maternity pay attached to my old job in order to return to new one. I can't find any govt contact numbers to give me advice on tax with two jobs (maybe local tax office? ) or advice on SMP in a complex situation.
Sorry this is so long - any advice appreciated.

Try www.tiger.gov.uk - it's a DTI website specifically to give employment advice. The layout is lousy, but it does have a lot of useful info. Also, the rules applying to entitlement to SMP are changing next April: it is my understanding that the qualifying period for SMP is being removed, although I suspect that you can only claim SMP from one employer. As your situation sounds complicated, it might be worth having a chat with an advisor at your local CAB about what you are entitled to; their services are free.

With regards to tax, your first employer will apply your usual tax allowances, and your second employer should apply tax at the basic rate - any adjustments are made by your tax office through your tax code or through a tax rebate after the end of the financial year. You could speak to your tax office for advice on this - use the telephone number on any correspondence you have from the tax office about your tax code, as the tax office dealing with your employer may not be your local one.

The DTI web site is good. I am not sure about the answer to your question. The tax point R makes is right.
Perhaps you can't go back to one job and claim SMP from the other because you're no longer on maternity leave or does it just relate to leave from that job? May be it does and it's true as said above the qualifying periods are changing next April or something.

I had 3 jobs while pregnant with ds1! Similarly to you, I had an interview for one of them after I already knew I was pregnant. Not only did they give me the job even though I told them I was pg, they also paid my maternity pay although they didn't have to. I went back to this job when ds1 was 3 months old. The other ones were fixed term contracts so I didn't feel I could ask about going back - not sure what the law is on that, though.

Anyway, I didn't realise I would get any maternity pay, due to having been in the job for such a short time. So I spent ages trying to work out my SMP entitlement. I think I wasn't entitled to it due to low earnings but did apply for Maternity Allowance. I had to get together my wage slips and work out which weeks I had been paid above whatever the threshold was. Sorry if this is hazy, it was over 4 years ago.

I do remember the Maternity Alliance being very helpful when I was trying to work things out, but unfortunately they don't exist any more. You could try the factsheet from workingfamilies.org.uk

Thank you very much Roskva, Zenia and Mummypig for taking the time to reply to my message. All your responses are very useful and I will definitely look at the DTI website and call my local tax office and the CAB on Monday.
It is possible that I will have to resign from new job when I go on mat leave if I am not entitled to mat leave from them, but at least they will have had five months good work out of me and I would always go back after my nine months if they changed their minds. I guess the next step is to get into negotiations with them - they may well have some suggestions themselves I guess. Good to know mummy pig that your third employer was so good to you. That makes me feel optimistic.

Glad to be of help. You are entitled to maternity leave from your new job, even if you don't qualify for SMP from that employer: it would be automatic sex discrimination to end your contract because you are pregnant or to refuse to take you back afterwards.