Maternity leave??

[rachel8572]

Hi everyone. Have you thought about how long you will have off for maternity leave yet? I would love to do 9 months but am worried about whether I can afford it.

I have had a bad time with the baby's dad since becoming pregnant he has become aggressive and violent so i have chosen not to have anything to do with him. I would rather not have a penny off him and do it on my own. Worried about my baby seein violence in his next relationship and am not prepared for it to happen.

Anyway... a bit off topic... but I have my own mortgage in my name and outgoings will be around £900 so not sure what I will be entitled to and whether benefits I receive as a single parent will be enough to help me for the whole 9 months. If not I will be returnin to work as a primary school teacher for 3 days until the baby is old enough to go to pre-school/school. Just contacted benefits people today and they want to know what I will earn in total for next tax year in April so just waitin for payroll to email it all back to me. So much to sort and worry about now I am doing it alone. Just hope I can survive xx

 

[Loula]

Ive decided to take all the paid maternity leave so itll be 9 months like you....
Im also doing it on my own and have alot of outgoing prob not much less then you...
I havent given work a return date as yet because i shall try and look for a new job closer to home as the commute and the hours are going to be a pain with a baby,
So far im winging it and hoping for the best, sooo worried aswell xxx

 

[Tara1985]

Sorry you don't have the support from the dad hon

You are entitled to a lot of benefits as a single parent but seems to be a different story if you are earning which I think is a little unfair because you won't exactly be rich!!! I would suggest you speak with your local citizen's advice. I know you can't earn more than £42,000 to get family tax credits but then that's all suppose to change next year. Sorry couldn't really be of much help but thought I would try and bump your post in the hope someone can give you some advice...

xxx

 

[Loula]

its madnes how better off wed probably be without working but theres no way i couldnt work... x

 

[rachel8572]

I know its ridiculous. i am just hoping that i get enough to cover my bills and have a little bit of a life for me and baba. i have emailed pay roll to find out how much i will earn in the next tax year which i will then need to tell the tax credit people... and they will then tell me how much i am entitled to!! hopefully they will take all my outgoings for house into consideration so hard.... i dont know if i will get more with the dad not contributing or not?? does anyone know? xx

 

[leesey]

I think i'm only going to take 6 months as I'm the main breadwinner and I think I only get 6 months full pay as a teacher in Scotland, then it's lower after that I think. I'll need to look into it more xx

Edit: It's only 3 months full pay then 6 months SMP, but still won't be taking the full 9 months!

 

[coco_cukoo]

I wanted to take a year off initially but now questioning whether we can afford it. 6 months full pay, 3 months SMP and then 3 months unpaid. I think we could probably do 2 months unpaid but not 3 so maybe go back at 11 months rather than 12 - when I return I get 36.5 days holiday too so don't forget the holiday you will accrue! I would save that holiday time up though so we can do family hols in the year. Not sure about any benefits at all, I'm totally clueless even with tax credits sorry! xxx

 

[beckybean]

I am not too sure about the whole benefits thing honey but could you speak to your mortgage provider and ask about a mortgage holiday whilst you are off with baby?

Friends of ours did it with their little one and we are considering it for us too as it would just save so much hassle; we are being slightly ambitious and are hoping to save some money but I really doubt that will happen!!!

x

 

[EmmaN27]

I also would like to take 9 months off. My maternity pay isn't too great, 6 weeks at full pay, 12 weeks at 50% pay and then down to SMP. Need to do some budgeting to see what we can afford to do. I think it's better that you tell your work you want longer off then you can always shorten it (check how much notice they need for you to arrange to come back earlier than date you give). It is very annoying that you get more benefits for not working and those that work struggle to cope. x

 

[rachel8572]

i have looked into doing a mortgage holiday but cos im on a first time buyers scheme they wont let me i will see what the tax credit place says when i ring back with my earnings. would love to do 9 months but if not then 6 months will have to do and then ill go back 3 days xx

 

[Spammy]

I actually sorted mine out today. I finish in 1st June and I'm having a full 9 months off. 6 months full pay and 3 months SMP. I'm adding another month holiday on the end though so don't go back until 8th April 2013!! Yay!! Also in may im using some holiday to work 3 days a week instead of 5. Thought it might be a good idea considering I'm gonna be shattered! Feel quite excited. It feels very real now it's sorted!

 

[Loula]

wow 6 months full pay.... coz i work for the nhs i get a lousy 8 weeks full pay lol x

 

[Spammy]

I work for the nhs too hun! How come you only get 8weeks?!

 

[Loula]

im sure thats what our policy said.... i may have to re look into this at weekend x

 

[Spammy]

I would do hun. If you have worked for the nhs for more than a year you should get 3 months full pay, then half pay + SMP(which for me works at to about full pay) + 3 months SMP. I'm sure it's the same everywhere in the nhs!

 

[zoe82]

I have only given myself 2 weeks off before my due date meaning my time off starts at the end of June, but I'm thinking I might change it and stick my 5 weeks holiday at the start instead so I can finish end May/start June. I get 15 weeks paid at 95% of my wages, then down to basic, so will probably only be able to afford 9 months off as well

Sent from my HTC Desire S using Tapatalk

 

[Loula]

I would do hun. If you have worked for the nhs for more than a year you should get 3 months full pay, then half pay + SMP(which for me works at to about full pay) + 3 months SMP. I'm sure it's the same everywhere in the nhs!

Will defo look into this as ive been with nhs since november 2010...