Should I tell recruitment agencies that I am on maternity leave?

[MeadowHay]

I'm on mat leave atm and not due to go back for awhile yet, but I am planning to start looking for better jobs in the new year. I am not planning on telling any potential employers up front that I am on mat leave as I am concerned it may be detrimental to my application even though I know I would be a good candidate for a wide range of jobs (toot toot). I got my current job through a recruitment agent however and I am definitely going to approach them, and other ones, when I start looking as I had a very good experience last time. However, should I tell them that I am on maternity leave, or just not mention it to them either?

Anyone?

Don't you have to go back to your current employer for a while? Or, are you only receiving state maternity benefit?

Nope, I only get SMP.

Do you have to give long notice? Not sure what the issue is tbh. You can apply for jobs now and accept any - for any start date. Stop claiming SMP when you start work. I don't see how being on maternity leave is an issue, or would come up in an interview.

Agencies are going to ask you why you left your last job, and what you have been doing for the past year, so I don't see why you wouldn't say that you are on ML.

4 weeks notice period but I could potentially take annual leave for it all, don't think my company would be impressed either way if I didn't return, or only returned for a short period, I think they would let me do that, theyve let other people take annual leave for their whole notice period before.

But I haven't left my last job. I'm still in continuous employment with them, so what I've been doing, from a legal perspective, is working there. It's pretty obvious surely why I'm nervous about being up-front about being on mat leave? Motherhood penalty etc.

How much longer will you be on mat leave? You could say "start date/available from x date"

If it's 6 months off then unless you have high level specific skills then I doubt an employer would wait, 3 months is more normal as it's often a notice period people have to give (in my field anyway)

I'm due back mid-March. I thought I'd start contacting recruiters/applying for jobs in the new year because I know through experience/friends' experience it can easily take 3 months for interviews, DBS checks, referencing etc before you can actually start a job.

It you are still employed at your current Co. Then just say that.