NHS Maternity Pay - So confused!

[DreamyCat]

Hi all. So this is kind of embarrassing but I can't get my head around the terms & conditions for being eligible for NHS maternity pay (not just SMP).

In the terms & conditions it says: "Employees must have 12 months’ continuous service with the NHS by the eleventh week before the expected week of childbirth (EWC)"

I know I sound daft but I can't work out when the earliest I could get pregnant is and be eligible for maternity pay. I started my job at the beginning March (so 5 months ago).

Can anyone help me work it out? Sorry for the silly question.

You need to have 12 months service by the time you are 29 weeks. Look up March 18 on a calendar and count backwards from there. Sorry, I don't have q calendar to hand, otherwise I'd do it myself.

You would have to be 29 weeks pregnant beginning of December to qualify if that makes sense. So you would have to wait another 3 months to get pregnant from now and you would definitely qualify.

I started in October last year and missed out qualifying by 6 weeks

I think I've worked it out right

When you are ready to go on maternity leave you can request equalised pay. The NHS part of your pay (8 weeks full, however many half) can be split over your maternity leave to give you a monthly income. It doesn't apply for the statutory part but I took a year off and had it split over 12 months - was easier for me to budget.

Chanie44 - Thank you! I think I get it now. So counting backwards 29 weeks from 5th March 2018 (12 months after my start date) would mean if I fall pregnant after 14th August this year I would qualify.

Ew1990 - sorry that you missed out... For me though wouldn't it be that I'd need to be 29 weeks pregnant in March '18 (I would have been employed for 12 months by then). So in theory I could get pregnant in August of this year and qualify.

No because in October id be 35 week pregnant when I've been there a year x

Oh sorry yeah you are right, I'm still half asleep lol x

It's so confusing! For me anyway! I think it's complicated further by trying to work out when a due date would be. Gah, maths isn't my strong point! How come you missed out on mat pay? That must've been frustrating. Congratulations though!

Because I've been there a year 5 weeks before my due date and not 11 weeks, it is frustrating but was ttc for 2 years so I'm not fussed really

That's the important thing. I can't wait to ttc!

Polkadotdelight - thank you for the tips on maternity pay±