Repaying mat pay

[Seasidesusy]

A friend of mine is about to start maternity leave. She is intending to take around 46 weeks and would like to return part time. She has been told today that unless she returns full time for 3 months, she will have to pay back her occupational maternity pay. I was under the impression that as long as you return to work for 3 months, regardless off changing hours, you didn’t have to pay it back. I can’t find a clear answer for her online so thought someone here might be able to clarify?
Thank you.

It depends entirely on their maternity policy but usually it's a return to work for a set amount of time (if part time, where the person was ft before, the hours are still met, but will take longer to meet it). If they quit/move before this time, then they owe the money back... But not all, like half or something?

The package offered by her work place (in addition to Statutory Maternity Pay) will come with terms. She'll need to read her workplace maternity policy to understand the terms. Statutory Maternity Pay will not be affected by said workplace terms, only the extra.

An employer enhanced scheme sets its own rules, although these have to be stated upfront. She needs to clarify if she pays all the enhanced pay back by going pt or if it is relative to her new hours. SMP is hers to keep regardless. The employer does not have to agree to a change of hours though.

Thank you all, that’s really useful. I was going off of my own maternity policy and assumed it was the same. I’ll direct her to that!

As the others have said, it entirely depends on their policy.

I did a bit of a fudge to get around this. I took 9 months May leave, meaning I had my full annual leave quota to take in 3 months.

By using a couple of AL days each week I worked part time but full time iyswim. Then went part time in the new AL year.

Would something like that work?

9 months mat leave obviously.

Yes I did that. Used my holiday in 2 day chunks every week until the end of the year before my new entitlement kicked in