Maternity Leave

[Tiggy26]

Hi Girls,

I was just woundering when you were all thinking of taking Maternity Leave?

Im Due on 10th March 2008 and was thinking of taking my allowence of finishing work 11 weeks before baby is due which would mean i could stop work on 23rd December i think?!

The thing is, i dont really understand all these benifits! I know that when i do take Maternity Leave i get 6 weeks full pay then £112 p/w after that. I was going to take a year out but i read somewhere that if i were to do that i would then have 3 months unpaid!?? Is that true?

I will not be returning to work after my Meternity as me and OH have decided that we can afford for me to be a house wife/mum.

If i dont return to work do i get any other benifits?? what are they and how much??

Sorry about this, its all new to me and im getting myself in such a pickle.

Tiggy xxx

 

[leckershell]

You only get 9 months paid leave of any sort and the additional time off adding up to a year would be unpaid - that's correct.

I left work 8 weeks before I was due - 4 weeks of this was my holiday entitlement, and the other 4 started off my maternity leave pay. Best to stay as long as you can in my opinion, so you get more paid time off before hand, and honestly you get so so bored on maternity leave it's untrue.

I think you can get family benefit and child benefit? And I assume job seekers allowance if you're not working, but I'm not that clued up about benefits to be honest.

Here's a link to info about maternity pay though...
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/ ... G_10029290

 

[NIE]

I start my mat leave in 4 weeks time. I can't wait.

I got really confused with what I was entitled to.

As far as I know I am getting 8 weeks full pay and the rest is 90% of my average pay. As I only work part time and don't pay NI, I am only entitled to Occupational Maternity pay what ever that is, and I am also applying for Maternity Allowance which I think is paid for 9 months.

It is so confusing. As far as I know you will still have to apply for maternity leave from your employer but it will state that you do not intend to return after baby arrives. xxx

 

[lumie]

If you don't go back to work after your maternity leave some employers have a policy that you have to pay back any maternity leave pay that they have paid you... you wouldn't have to pay back the statutory maternity pay though.