job/statutory maternity pay

[silverjean]

Hi all,
I was wondering any of you can share your knowledge.
Me and my partner are hoping to start trying for a baby very soon but I just started a new job on the 2nd September.
I have looked online to try to find out how long you need to be with an employer before you are entitled to statutory maternity pay. It says that you need to have been continously been working for your employer for 26 weeks up to the 15th week of the expected week of child birth. Does this mean that you need to have been working for them for a week or am I not understanding this correctly.
Hope you can help

 

[tinks77]

If you fall pregnant you need to have worked from them at least 1 week before you become pregnant so that by the time you are 25 weeks pregnant you have continuously worked for them for 26 weeks or more

 

[MrsS143]

So what happens if youre pregnant in a new job? What money would you get?

 

[Laura_C]

If you were already pregnant when starting a job or do not qualify for SMP for any reason you can claim Maternity Allowance which is the same as basic rate SMP. To be eligible for this you must have worked for 26 weeks out of the last 66 weeks before your baby's due date. So if you have worked pretty much continuously you will surely qualify.

I was made redundant at 10 weeks pregnant with my last baby and I had worked full time up until that period before, so even though I didn't return to work after that I still qualified for Maternity Allowance as I had work enough weeks during that 66 week period.

 

[Laura_C]

There was no way anyone would have taken me on at 10 weeks pregnant or beyond so I was lucky I didn't need to work for the rest of my pregnancy. The started payments from my 29th week of pregnancy, although you can get them to wait a little longer until you actually go into maternity leave if still working. I was paid promptly every 4 weeks, never any bother as it comes direct from the government x

 

[MrsS143]

Ok

im ttc atm and hate my job so would happily leave
I cant face not having any money though if I got a new job temporarily til baby was born