Changing jobs while TTC

[Fingers crossed]

The past couple of weeks I've been starting to hate my job and I want to leave. I've read a few posts here and links to websites but am a bit confused about how long you have to be with an employer for to be entitled to maternity benefits and how much I'd get if I haven't been in a new job long enough. Basically, do I risk changing jobs and if I get a BFP will I get less money or stay where I am (I've been there 2 years) and put up with the aggro and hope I get preggers soon. I could cope with it if I knew I only had to put up with it for a few months. Any advice will be very grateful as I'm begging to dread going to work and I'm in a bad mood when I'm there and I just wanna cry when I get home cos I hate it so much, ggrr

 

[delmesgirl]

awww, poor you. it's horrible when you don't enjoy going to work.
basically for benefits you have to have been employed by your employer beofre you actually get pregnant. the wording of it is something like if you're 25 weeks pregnant by the 15th week before EDD, which basically means if your already pregnant when you change jobs you won't get SMP.
So, SMP if you're entitled is 90% of your average earnings for 6 weeks, then (i think) 26 weeks on basic SMP which is £106 per week.
In addition to this, some employers offer an additional benefit which varies for different employers, eg mine gives an extra 12 weeks at half pay, but to qualify you must return to work for at least 3 months after your mat leave.

But you know, if you really hate your job that much, you could just look for something else. As long as your NI contributions are up to date, the least you'll be entitled to is maternity allowance which is also £106 per week, so all you lose is the 6 weeks at 90% and any employer benefits.
In fact i've just done that. At the moment I work an hour's drive away and a very similar job just came up 5 mins walk from my house. It's less money and I lose most of my maternity pay, but i'm so fed up with that much travelling and will be even worse in a few months time. So i've handed in my notice and due to start my new job in January.

And it may well be that you can find a new job quickly and be there before you get pg. I guess you could always just put plans on hold for a couple of months until you get a new job sorted.

Anyway, sorry it ended up so long, hope it all works out.

 

[Fingers crossed]

Thanks for the info, I wouldn't actually lose out on that much then . I think I'll have a look round though and still TTC, I can't go back on that now, I've come too far to put it it on hold for 'what if's.
Thanks again

 

[Little Miss Joslyn]

Did you make that change Fingers crossed? I was in the same situation as you 5 months ago and hated my job but tryed to stick it out for maternity benifits although I wasnt pregnant. It turned out that the company I worked for went bust so I was made redundant and I had the choice of taking a lower paid job within the same company or taking a part time job for a better hourly rate. I took the part time one so i could relax and 4 months on ... Im pregnant. I put all my energy into my new job and forgot about ttc. Now im worried I wont get much maternity pay and im keeping it quiet until im 12 weeks as I have only been there 4 months.
Good luck and hope you get your BFP soon. x