Maternity pay / allowance

It’s unlikely to qualify for SMP, so you can apply for maternity allowance from 26weeks I think… apply early though

@Kimmylou why wouldn’t I qualify if I’m already pregnant I was employed before I found out I was pregnant

You have to have worked for the employer you’re going on maternity leave from for a certain period of time to qualify for SMP from them, so if you’re already pregnant you won’t get it. SMP you get the first 6 weeks at 90% salary, but the maternity allowance you go straight to the stat £183 or whatever it is a week.

@Sarah it says I have to work for them for 26 weeks which would be end of June , I’m due in August so therefore I’d be employed by them past 26 weeks by then

You may be able to claim smp from the company you’re leaving, but you won’t be eligible at your new job. I applied for MA direct from the government not through the job centre, I also chose when I wanted it to start and whether I wanted it 2 or 4 weekly. Otherwise the only difference is the 6 weeks at 90% that you get with smp, you won’t get that with ma.

@Sarah and Yh I’m aware of the government one which will be my next option

@Kimmylou I was employed by them before conception/ before I found out I was pregnant I just haven’t started with them due to references… I found out I was pregnant after I was employed by them. And Yh I read that as well which I will be working with them given I pass probation for up to 11th week before pregnancy so that’s why I thought I’d qualify xx

@N 💞 I already left them in November lol so no I won’t be able to. Is there a difference applying from the government / job centre? Ahhhh ok so you’d get less form the government than you would with your job is what you’re saying?

@Kimmylou I’m not leaving earlier I’m gonna work up until I’m nearly due x

@Kimmylou huh?

Ah ok, sometimes when you go from one company straight to another you can claim from your previous employer, someone I used to work with did this as she left us and then found out she was pregnant a few weeks later, my boss claimed the smp and paid it to her. Yes for the first 6 weeks you’d get less from the gov than you would if you got smp, but then the payments would be the same for the remainder of your mat leave

@Kimmylou if she worked for her previous employer during the qualifying period then she could have.

@Kimmylou Yh it says you have to work for them for at least 26 weeks hun. Continuously by the 15th week before you’re due. Which I will be hence why I asked if I qualify after that fact as I will be due after those weeks

@N 💞 I work in a nursery so no it’s not the same aha I won’t be able to do that

There is a checker on the gov website that will confirm if you’ll get SMP or MA. There is very little difference between SMP and MA, you can get slightly more for the first 6 weeks with SMP depending on how much you earn, but then it’s exactly the same. If you earn less than £139/week in your job, then SMP and MA pay out exactly the same.

@Rhiannon I will be earning more than £400 weekly haha

You have to have worked for them for 26 weeks before your qualifying week, which is when you’re 25 weeks pregnant - it’s not based off your due date.

@Sarah yes which will be by the end of June I’m Due in August so if I’m still employed by them I will be which I’ve already said

https://www.gov.uk/maternity-paternity-calculator There’s this calculator employers to use to determine whether they have to give SMP or not. Use that to confirm whether you will or not.

@Sarah thank you

@Kimmylou lol your screenshot literally says what I’m saying. ‘You WILL STILL BE ENTITLED to smp if your job ends after the 25th week’ so, you’ve proved yourself wrong with your own screenshot… I worked with somebody who found out they were about 7 months pregnant after they’d left, so they were employed by my boss throughout the qualifying period (but at the time of going on maternity leave worked for somebody else) and my boss paid her smp. So I know it can be done.

@Kimmylou The original post didn’t state any dates, so I said if she was employed during her qualifying period she’d be entitled and her previous employer could pay it. Which is what your screenshot says. I have no idea why you felt the need to get involved… This back and forth is irrelevant anyway as through my conversation with OP this is not the case anyway, so please stop tagging me in screenshots.