Maternity sneeky question

redballoon_2

OK, so i am not pregnant yet but hope to be very soon! (fingers crossed)

anyway i have looked into my works maternity scheme.

i am eligable for:
6 weeks 90% of weekly earnings
12 weeks half weekly pay + £100 SMP
8 weeks £100.00 SMP

total for 52 weeks £6365 - thats if i return to work

If i dont intend to return to work:

6 weeks 90% of weekly earnings
20 weeks £100.00 SMP

i will only get £3354.00 (including SMP)

so it obviously pays for me to return to work! but i know people who have claimed the more maternity pay option, gone back to work for a short while, then left!

for our work, if you claim the more maternity pay then decide to not return you have to pay some of it back so people have got round this!

Any advice or thoughts?

mrsh_2

Check how long you have to be back at work before you can resign without paying any money back. I only have to go back for 4weeks as this is my notice period. Remember to still accrue annual leave during the time you are on maternity leave.

redballoon_2

i have to give 4 weeks notice as well.

you dont have to pay anything back if you choose to go back to work part time so this is an option for me.
I am thinking of going back part time and work a day or two at home as well (thats if they let me!)

we can just about afford to live off hubbys wages alone but doesnt leave uswith any spare money.

eva11

I work in the NHS and in my hospital I have to work 3 months when I return or I have to pay the extra money back if I change my mind!

Spendless

How much will you have to pay out in childcare if you return to work as you need to deduct the childcare cost from the higher 'going back to work' figure.

redballoon_2

nothing as my mum and mother in law said that they will split it between them!

Baileys_Babe

I have to go back for 3 months, to any job with any local authority.

Thriftylady

I've been wondering about this too, as I'm due to go on maternity leave in a few weeks and am undecided as to what I'm going to do when it ends.

Basically, if I resigned and they decided they wanted some of the maternity pay back, how would my employer get the money out of me if I have no income from which to pay them? they can't demand it off my husband because he wouldn't owe them the money, I would ....

busymumof3

Was actually in this position 10 years ago now. During my maternity leave, my husband took up a new position which meant we had to relocate. Had to pay back all my additional maternity pay as it was then impossible for me to return to work. 10 years later I still haven't made that return to work!

Makes sense not to burn your boats. You really can't tell how things will work out and it is sensible to keep your options open.

across

what i have done is used my annual leave after my maternity leave as a safeguard against this problem! annual leave is treated as if you were back in work but you are actually at home!!(so therefore you have served the amount of days necessary,*eg a month* if you make sure you have enough leave before you go off you need to find out what you must serve after and save enough days!)then after my annual leave i have gone on a 5 year career break(unpaid) which ends up a little over 7 yrs when you add the maternity of two babies on and if i find something else to do by then i will not owe a penny i had it all in writing before i went off as i was paid full pay for so many months during my maternity leave and didnt want to owe them anything if i change job, i know my job is there tomorrow if i need it so this makes me feel financially relaxed and am fully enjoying the early years of motherhood i do recommend what ive done to anyone but i did research the matter thoroughly before i took mat leave. good luck and i hope my idea can work for you too!!!!if you need any help on my post just ask me!

Thriftylady

across wrote:

what i have done is used my annual leave after my maternity leave as a safeguard against this problem!

I had thought about that, but I can't carry this years leave over to next year, so I have to take it before my maternity leave instead......my boss even tried to tell me that I couldn't take it before my maternity leave either, as other staff already had their holidays allocated, and no leave was available. err....don't think so! I'm entitled to the leave and they have to allow me to take it somehow!!