maternity pay

Replies

• Suzaie2

  Apr 22, 2007 4:09PM

  I'm not sure to be honest, but if you contact the citizens advice bureau they should be able to help. Also, if you can, pop to your local job centre and ask about a Sure Start Maternity Grant, which is a one off payment of 500 to people on low incomes, also don't forget to apply for tax credits and child benefit when your little one is born, they're not much, but every penny helps. Let us know how you get on.x

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• mamapink

  Apr 28, 2007 3:29PM

  Hi Paula, your HR department or Manager should have had a meeting with you to talk to you about their maternity policy and what you would be entitled to. From April 2006 the standard rate of SMP is ??112.75 a week (or 90% of the woman's average weekly earnings if this is less than ??112.75 a week). For the first six weeks the rate is 90% of average weekly earnings with no maximum limit. However being the NHS they may pay you full pay for a period of time, it all depends on their maternity policy.
  The following link is a useful source of information from the dti http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file18061.pdf.
  
  Good luck, hope you get on ok! x

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• daska

  Apr 30, 2007 6:55AM

  You haven't said when your baby's due. I've been off sick since August and I'll still qualify for full SMP even though my baby isn't due until June. My understanding is that Maternity pay should be based on your salary as an employee, not on what you've been receiving under SSP. And quite honestly your HR department should be ensuring that you know where you stand. I sugest you ring them ASAP and ask them to confirm the situation in writing. Just to clarify what LizB has said: To get SMP you must have been: * Employed by your employer into the qualifying week which is the 15th week before the week your baby is due. * Employed by the same employer without a break for at least 26 weeks into the 15th week before the week your baby is due. Part weeks count as full weeks. * Earning before tax an average of ??87.00 a week. This is called the Lower Earnings Limit for National Insurance Contributions (NI) and is the amount you have to earn to qualify for benefits. You have to earn more than this amount before you actually start paying NI. If you qualify under these restrictions then you should get SMP.

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• paulak412

  May 2, 2007 11:59AM

  they told me that i am not entitled to smp as i was not earning enough for the qualifying period ( i was on ssp) my supervisor being a jerk to always harrassing me down the phone its stress i dont need at the minute

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