Maternity pay question: am i allowed..

Floxxie

surreysaver wrote: »

But if the man could take the year instead of the woman, and the woman earnt more than the man (which in a lot of younger couples these days is the case), then babies would not have to be 'dumped' (for want of a better expression) in a nursery at two months old.

If that is the case then take the unpaid option. I don't see what your concern is - a woman carries and gives birth - the time off is for her to recover and cope -it is not a holiday and certainly maternity leave is not a 'walk in the park'; it is much easier being at work.

surreysaver

Floxxie wrote: »

If that is the case then take the unpaid option. I don't see what your concern is - a woman carries and gives birth - the time off is for her to recover and cope -it is not a holiday and certainly maternity leave is not a 'walk in the park'; it is much easier being at work.

Just a few problems - your employer can refuse to let you take the unpaid option (well, put it off for six months, anyway). Yes, the woman carries and gives birth - but you do not need a year off to recover from that. I am not suggesting it is a holiday - I am aware it is easier being at work. I am saying that women and men need to be given a choice. Women with your attitude will ensure that a woman's place will always be in the kitchen, and will prevent both sexes from persuing what they want in life.

surreysaver

JulieJesta wrote: »

Excuse Me??
Benifit fraud? I'm not on a benifit actually, i'm on PAY, statory maternity pay. I'd appreciate you not trying to preach to me actually. I asked a valid question.

I am not preaching. Maternity Pay is a benefit paid out of taxpayers money via your employer. You could say the same about Jobseekers Allowance - why shouldn't you be able to work whilst looking for work? Maternity Leave and pay is for that - being on Maternity Leave. I am stating the facts - not critising you. I am sure HMRC would not be taking a lenient view if they caught you!

surreysaver

JulieJesta wrote: »

I'm not some sexist woman, but my hubby CAN NOT breastfeed our son, can he?

Not everybody breastfeeds. But let's not get into that argument!

Floxxie

surreysaver wrote: »

Just a few problems - your employer can refuse to let you take the unpaid option (well, put it off for six months, anyway). Yes, the woman carries and gives birth - but you do not need a year off to recover from that. I am not suggesting it is a holiday - I am aware it is easier being at work. I am saying that women and men need to be given a choice. Women with your attitude will ensure that a woman's place will always be in the kitchen, and will prevent both sexes from persuing what they want in life.

You know nothing of my position and if you did you would then know that your comments are ridiculous as are your statements about women not requiring a year to recover - some women suffer from PND and would require that time, if not longer.

Having babies is a choice not a right...if you are that concerned save up your pennies, quit your job and look after the little ones. It's what a lot of women (and men) have to do, myself included. The fact that there is any assistance at all is a positive.

And I wonder how many women actually take the year off? I know several who are in well paid jobs who are returning after 6 months as they are terrified the maternity cover is going to take their job.

The facts about maternity pay - if you are receiving SMP you can take unlimited self-employed work. If you are receiving maternity allowance, you can't. The first you are taxed, the second you are not as it is a benefit. As long as the OP declares her self-employed earnings to HMRC then no problem. If she decides to take on a different job (apart from the 10 days allowed at her employers) then her maternity pay will stop. Simple.

Floxxie

hotchokl8

JulieJesta wrote: »

Hiya,
i'm on maternity leave until march. am i allowed a temp xmas job to help with the bills?

i was on low hourly rate so getting paid smp via my employer.
would getting a temp job be like getting a job whilst on sickleave, as my mate implied, and likely to get me in trobule, or is it like having 2 jobs, as technically i'm still employeed whislt on leave, if its a "second job" thats ok becuasse its not wrong, i'll just get taxed more.

please help. my hubby did 40 hours overtime last month so we can afford to live with me on SMP. i dont want to do my normal job, as that means i cant take my baby (retail). i was thinking paper rounds, or avon where i can walk my son about in a buggy during daytime.

Hi

in response to your original enquiry, unfortunately i dont knowthe legalities etc.
However i can empathise with you as i have faced the same situation.Although my husband does earn enough to cover the bills and household spending, it is difficult when you have to get by on 1 income when youve been used to 2 especially as smp is worth peanuts unless your employer is topping it up. I was fortunate to recieve some top ups from my employer, but have had a few months in between whereits just been smp and its quite hard to adjust to, especially when ive just started weaning baby off breastmilk so now have to fork out for formula, baby food, TONNNES of nappies, clothes (they grow fast!), and obviously you want to give your child the best of everything.

What i did find useful though was having a clearout at home and ebaying (i know!!!!!!!) Its amazing what people will pay for some things, and in the process have made just over £200 which has helped and the only 'tax' i paid was ebay fees. I hope this helps.

And just while i'm talking i might add that it is the families that have two people working that need the gov to help them. It's those men and women who keep the economy fuelled, who pay benefits to goodness knows how many millions of opeople that are unemployed for whatever reason through the tax on their wages (and the extra taxes on o/t for trying to bump up the income!) and those who ultimately recieve no help in times of their own hardship.

We now have to face a winter where the price of gas and elec is higher than ever, we are on economy 7 (storage heaters main source of heating at home) aluminium glazed windows which do not seal out draughts. If we replace heating, we still lose heat through draughty windows. If we replace windows we still have to cover the high cost of elec (e7 cust pay 3 times more for elec during the day and i'm at home with baby, our house is beginning to get very cold and its only october and the storage heaters are all on.....!) No help towards costs for either. We have two children and we both work.

If neither me or my hub were working, we would get free windows, free heating, free prescriptions, probably free food, free baby milk, taxt credit top ups, free council tax, housing benefit, probably some sort of unemployed benefit, free school dinners etc ....please feel free to add to the list!

....is it worth working at all really??

hotchokl8

surreysaver wrote: »

I am not preaching. Maternity Pay is a benefit paid out of taxpayers money via your employer. You could say the same about Jobseekers Allowance - why shouldn't you be able to work whilst looking for work? Maternity Leave and pay is for that - being on Maternity Leave. I am stating the facts - not critising you. I am sure HMRC would not be taking a lenient view if they caught you!

surely if you recieve smp its beacause you are working therefore its a benefit paid out of the tax you have paid yourself! Its more of a tax return than a benefit i would say!

surreysaver

hotchokl8 wrote: »

surely if you recieve smp its beacause you are working therefore its a benefit paid out of the tax you have paid yourself! Its more of a tax return than a benefit i would say!

You could say the same about any benefit you receive - it is paid for out of the tax you (and others) have paid.

surreysaver

Floxxie wrote: »

The fact that there is any assistance at all is a positive.

But assistance should be non-discriminatory. The Government does not go by the laws it expects others to follow. I am not critising you or anyone else - just merely stating the Maternity Laws in this country are discriminatory. Of course some women take longer than a year to recover - but generally they do not. If they do, then take a year off. But if they do not, then why not allow the father to take some of the Maternity Leave so a woman can go back to work? I am not suggesting a man should be allowed to take time off at the expense of the woman - what I am saying is a couple should have the choice. It should not be the Government's decision which gender is to be the main carer.

Floxxie

But this is about the only area where the law favours a working woman and I can't say that it is positive taking the time off - women miss out on promotions, are seen less favourably because they have had a child (and expected to have another or have time off), often have to take on part time hours etc. etc. The maternity pay is rubbish and there are very few women who can afford to take the time off, let alone live off that amount.

There are other sectors which are also discriminated against. The one that is growing is those who have elderly parents or relatives who need looking after - they don't get time off. If anything they are the people who should be getting the help.

I'm sure they will come the day where equality is given to men but I don't think that many will take it up. When it comes to having and looking after children as a couple you are better off not working and letting the state completely look after you and help you bring up your children.

Floxxie