Maternity Pay? Stat?

[Radleycat]

Ladies,
I'm being a complete idiot I'm sure but I'm just trying to work out my mat pay. For those in the know, as this is my first pregnancy I'm really being stupid. I qualify for statutory maternity pay. Does this get paid to me on top of maternity pay from my employer?

sorry for being thick. I really do feel thick!

 

[night owl]

I think statutory maternity pay gets paid to you if you are not still getting paid by your employer, so basically once your pay from your employer ends - so for example for me I get paid my full pay from my employer for 6 months and then if I want to remain on maternity leave I can have statutory maternity pay only, and think I am entitled to 6 months of it, I’m pretty sure that’s how it works anyway x

 

[Radleycat]

That's what I was afraid of
In which case, I get stat after 25 weeks for 13 weeks then nothing at all if I want to take the whole year. May have to sell one of the twins at this rate!

 

[night owl]

Yeah we can’t afford for me to be on statutory maternity pay for long anyway as 125 quid a week is a huge pay drop for me and I’m the higher earner out the two of us so I’ll be having 8 or 9 months off max, I’ll buy one of the twins!! Save me having to do this pregnancy malarkey ever again ha ha x

 

[Radleycat]

Yeah we can’t afford for me to be on statutory maternity pay for long anyway as 125 quid a week is a huge pay drop for me and I’m the higher earner out the two of us so I’ll be having 8 or 9 months off max, I’ll buy one of the twins!! Save me having to do this pregnancy malarkey ever again ha ha x

MIne would be stat for 13 weeks then no pay for 13 weeks if I want to take a year. Thing is, I don't think we could afford childcare for two anyway so I hadn't planned to go back to work more than 50% hours. Childcare for two is mad.

Don't blame you about the pregnancy malarky, doing it with twins has not been easy to say the least! They are doing fine but they are doing their best to wear me out whilst they are brewing!

 

[night owl]

Yeah bloody hell ive struggled with just incubating one of them i bet it’s super tough growing two!!

Oh don’t even get me started on childcare costs I’m burying my head in the sand about that at the moment, we have literally no family to do any for us so will need full time and don’t qualify for any tax credits or anything cos our earnings are considered over the threshold even though we barely have spare cash as we pay our own mortgage and everything, I can’t even begin to imagine how bad childcare would be for two! It’s very hard isn’t it, sometimes I feel like hard working people who are trying to do the right thing by working full time and not claiming all kinds of benefits are priced out of having kids for example free childcare for 2 year olds if you don’t work - no free childcare hours until they are 3 if you do work! I think the system is crazy and backwards

You could always do a calculation online and see if you would be entitled to any child or working tax credits based on the lower earnings x

 

[MrsP513]

My understanding is I think most people have some months where they have no pay.

I get 90% wages for 6 weeks
Then 12 weeks at half pay
Then my stat mat pay. But in total it’s only to 39 weeks for the whole time.

 

[Beetle123]

I think everywhere is different, I work for the NHS, and I will get 8 weeks full pay (stat included into this) then 18 weeks half pay + stat, then 13 weeks stat only, then nothing more.
So I will probably be going back after 9 months, as it will be too much of a struggle for us on just 1 salary. But totally agree that childcare is insane! And apparently places get filled up very quickly, so people put their kids names down 6+ months in advance....! He’s not even here yet, and all this is stressing me out! Xxx

 

[Unicorn]

Yeah, if you don't get full pay from your employer at all it should be topped up with stat maternity pay, but not taking you above your normal full pay! Your employer maternity policy is very good night owl xx

 

[night owl]

Yeah, if you don't get full pay from your employer at all it should be topped up with stat maternity pay, but not taking you above your normal full pay! Your employer maternity policy is very good night owl xx

Yes it is brilliant to be fair, I am very lucky! X

 

[MamaWannabe]

I think most people get the last 3 months unpaid unless their work offers an enhanced mat pay for those months, which I don't think many do. I'll be going back after 9 months too because we can't afford to be on one salary for 3 months, after the previous 3 months just SMP.

The system is definitely backwards! Don't get me started on benefits... I think it's a great idea to have benefits to help those who really do need it. But I know quite a lot of people who don't even consider having a job, choose to live on benefits, have a few kids, and end up "earning" almost as much as me through benefits, and on top of that they get free childcare too? It's unfair when some people take advantage of the system.

But yes I forgot about childcare help we get. My work does "childcare vouchers", which basically means they take some of the childcare costs out of your salary before tax, so you're essentially getting to pay some of it tax free. But you have to place them with a registered nursery or childminder to get that.

Also, don't forget you still accrue holidays while on mat leave, and some work places allow you to take all your holidays at once after your maternity leave. So you could basically end up with an extra month or whatever at full pay. I'm trying to get that, but I'd be returning from mat leave just after our holiday year is over and the HR manager doesn't allow people to carry over holidays... hoping my manager overrules her (as he usually does) and allows it!

 

[EmmaN27]

I get 6 months full pay, then 3 months SMP, then the last 3 months unpaid. I've prepared for the unpaid part by saving some money each month, it won't be anywhere near what I would have been earning, but better than nothing. I think you do have to plan ahead for maternity leave by saving as much as possible beforehand. x

 

[EmmaN27]

And I totally agree regarding the benefits system being unfair, giving free childcare to parents who don't work and people that do work have to pay out a small fortune for it, where's the sense in that! x

 

[Sugarpop]

I get maternity pay PLUS SMP when my wage goes down after the first few weeks.

The only way to actually know is contact your HR.