ANOTHER SMP question!

[Alicebabe]

My work has given me the maternity booklet but its so confusing - I cant make head nor tail of it! From what I can work out, its 8 weeks full pay and then 18 weeks half pay.

But with the SMP - is everyone entitiled to this regardless of earnings and does this start when my pay goes down to half or straight away?? BTW, my employer is the NHS and I get full entitlement for long service.

Thanks for any help!

 

[LaineyG]

I'm NHS too!

The way I think it works is that from the moment you start Mat Leave, the NHS claims your SMP, for the first 8 weeks they make it up to your full wage, then half your wage and then the rest is just SMP.

I got them to spread my pay evenly over the whole 9 months I was off. That way I didn't get a drop in wages at all over the whole of my maternity leave!

xxx

 

[kalia]

That's absolutely right. You get 39 weeks of SMP. For the first 8 week the NHS will add extra money to this to make up your full salary and for the following 18 weeks they will top up to half you salary. You don't get your full/half salary AND SMP. That's a cunning idea Lainey! It's brilliant that they do that

 

[bunnymom1980]

I have been told by HR that after the 8 weeks of full pay you then get 18 weeks of half pay PLUS SMP on top Thats also what my booklet says too