Off on mat leave, due DC2 4 months after returning to work..

[MummytoMatildaX]

I am off on Maternity leave just now, after the birth of my daughter in July last year. I have taken one year off (no enhanced pay, just SMP - return to work mid July). We are expecting DC2 at the end of November, a 16 month age gap between DC1 & DC2. I still have all my annual leave from this year, and do have 1 week left over from last year too. Do I have to return to work before DC2 is due, to receive SMP, or can I bridge this time with annual leave and some sort of unpaid leave, to still receive SMP for DC2? Thanks for reading.

You need to earn a minimum amount in weeks 17-25 to qualify for maternity pay again so it depends at what point you return to work and start getting paid again.

To qualify forSMPyou must:

• ,earn on average at least £120 a week
• give thecorrect notice
• giveproof you’re pregnant
• have worked for your employercontinuouslyfor at least 26 weeks continuing into the ‘qualifying week’ - the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth