Sick pay & maternity ... help?

[jayx2]

Hi ladies just wondering if anyone knows about this ... I've been off work with sicklines from doctor so not full time sick because of my back and my pelvis as I work in a care home but one of my friends has just said I won't get maternity pay if I'm off sick is this true ? I'm getting a bit worried because there is no way I could go back to work in this agony x

 

[Lilmoomin]

That cant be true hun as when I went into work to quit my cleaning job, they wanted me to stay on sick till 29 weeks, then go on maternity leave and see how I felt afterwards. The way I understand it, if you are still classed as employed you are still entitled to claim it. I would double check on the governments site tho x x

 

[Olive]

Hi hun,

I think that if you are off work with a pregnancy-related illness from 36 weeks your boss can insist that you start your maternity leave, but not before then.

Pos?

xx

 

[Lilelephant]

U will ur maternity pay will kick in at a set time! I am off sick too but my maternity takes over at eleven weeks before due date. As long as u inform ur company of pregnancy.

 

[hugsy]

Yeah your defo entitled to sick pay up untill the 11 week before due date when they can insist you start your maternity

Sick pay and maternity are 2 seperate things as even if your employer normaly does not pay sick pay they have to during maternity

 

[mustard]

What she might mean is that SMP for the first 6 weeks of maternity leave is worked out as 90% of your earnings from the previous 8 weeks. So if 8 weeks before you go on maternity leave (which as the other said you could be forced to do from 29weeks if still sick) you are off sick then your SMP will be 90% of sick pay earnings not 90% of normal earnings and then normal SMP after that. Although your employers could of course choose to pay you more. I think this is correct but check it for yourself on direct gov website. (I looked it up because I was hoping to take a little bit of unpaid leave in December so I could visit family for xmas but I was worried it might affect my SMP and it turns out it probably would).