if you take unpaid leave for a few months before maternity leave does that affect maternity pay?

[oranges]

I;m really struggling with work and wonder if unpaid leave for a few months before the second trimester would help, but would that then make me ineligible for maternity pay? DOn't dare ask hr till I know where I stand legally!

Occupational mat is based on your salary on a particular week in your pregancy so if you're not earning then i guess it would affect your mat pay - if you get occupational pay. i don't know how it effects statutory mat pay, if at all.

sorry that's actually not that helpful. hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along soon

Occupational mat pay is based on the pay you get in your 26th week of pregnancy as far as I can remember, do as long as you were back at work then.
Fir both types you need to gave been employed fir a year so if you gave been there less than that it might be an issue.
Why unpaid leave? Why not get the doctor to sign you off I'll if it is pregnancy related? It might well be that your work would refuse your leave anyway...

I'm just looking at options - they haven/t been all that helpful about the pregnancy. I've been there over a year though ona proper full time contract. . So I'd have to cling on till week 26? I'm not ill as such, just struggling with tiredness and stress and it improved if I'm not at work. - not sure I can get signed off for that.

To get SMP you will need to be earning between weeks 17 and 25 of your pregnancy.

If you get anything over and above SMP it's completely up to your employer what terms and conditions they put on it and how they work it out, so you will need to check your maternity policy at work.

Thank you that's really helpful. So sounds like I'll have to struggle on, and get signed off sick if I need to.

Are you able to ask about working shorter days? This might leave you feeling less tired and stressed.

I ended up doing 7hr days and the extra hour made a lot of difference to me, but it was not so much that I noticed it in the pay packet.

I think reduced working hours would be refused if I asked formally, but they do let me go early if I'm feeling really unwell. It looks as if I'm going to have to stumble through.