New job - am I entitled to maternity pay?

[LynnC]

I'm looking for a new job possibly going back full time but I know I want to try again for a baby end of this year beginning of next - if I do get a new job will I be entitled to maternity pay or do I have to be employed for a certain amount of time first?

To qualify for SMP you just should not be pregnant before you start the job, that's all. Otherwise it's fine.

Thanks Aloha thats great. Hoping to be there at least 6 months before falling so will be there over a year before having baby (well if everything goes to plan) - thanks again, another thing to cross off worry list

I think to qualify for SMP you have to have beenn working for the same company continuously for the 26 weeks before the 15th week before your baby is due.....that's sounds really complicated!! Basically if count back from your expected due date by 15 weeks, then from that date count back 26 weeks. I only know all ofthis because I had to do it to see if I qualified for SMP at my company and I didn't cause I hadn't worked there for long enough. I did, however, qualify for maternity allowance. Hope that makes sense...26 weeks is approx. 6 1/2 months

JanW is spot on.

They put it in a really complicated way, 26 + 15 = 41.

Therefore you need to have worked for the company for 1 week before having your last period before becoming pregnant! So ideally three weeks before conceiving. As Aloha put it, don't be pregnant when you start the job and you're fine.