SMP help!!

[Samcj02]

Hi👋🏻 New here and after some maternity pay advice please. So I work term time only in a preschool, I get paid term time only and some holidays in holiday time. So my situation is my employer has never had to work out maternity before but I'm due on 5/12/17. However this is where it gets tricky they don't know whether I'll be entitled to SMP or not. I work 21 hours per week (sometimes more) and they qualifying weeks for SMP are now during the summer holidays where I only get two weeks holiday pay the rest is unlaid. This is where it gets confusing how do they work out if I'm entitled to SMP or Maternity allowance! Thanks!

I'm sure your employer is capable of seeking their own advice if they need it. There is an SMP calculator on the .gov website, they'll need to put in what you earn during the qualifying weeks. If too many of those weeks come at a time when you're not earning, you won't be entitled to SMP as your average pay won't be high enough.

Sorry to contradict flowery but that's not quite right. If you aren't paid during the holidays you use the 8 weeks prior to the last 'normal' payday before you are 26 weeks pregnant.

www.babycentre.co.uk/x546098/i-work-in-a-school-given-school-holidays-how-does-my-maternity-leave-work

Do you get paid only during termtime or is your annual salary spread in 12 payments?

During term time
We have 4 weeks holiday- 1 at xmas 1 at Easter 2 in the summer holidays if that makes sense? ,x

Thanks Moanyoldcow that's what I was lead to believe also. X

I think LIZS is asking whether you get paid over 12 months rather just the months you work.

At the school I work at we work out the annual salary for term time employees including paid holiday and divide it over 12 months so you are paid the same every month which makes payroll and budgeting much easier.

You shouldn't be disadvantaged just because your employer pays a different way - if you were paid the way we pay then you'd obviously qualify but still be earning the exact same amount.

Hi thanks for the reply. We are paid term time only with our holiday entitlement split in to 4 weeks so i get paid a week at Easter,a week at xmas and two weeks in the summer holiday! But yes technically the pay is term time only! I wish they'd pay over 12 months it'd be much easier!