Redundancy looming and trying for a baby

PhilReed

Hi,

My partner has been told that there is a very good chance that she will be made redundant in a few months but we are currently trying for a baby.

What would happen if she becomes pregnant after being told she is going to be made redundant, would she be entitled to any maternity pay or enhanced redundancy package?

How do I find out what benefits she would be entitled to if not eligible for maternity pay? I have had a look at the direct.gov.uk website to try and make sense of the rules but it seems very complicated.

Any help or guidance is appreciated.

FBaby

I don't think she would be entitled to statutory maternity pay if she is made redundant before she is entitled to the pay and I've never herd of enhanced redundancy package.

In the end, she is aware that this is on the cards and it is up to you to decide whether you can afford to take the risk of her being pregnant and not being entitled to anything more than maybe maternity allowance (£125 a week for 39 weeks) or potentially esa if she can't get maternity allowance. I am in the same situation, and in normal circumstances, I would have put a stop to it until I found another job and been there long enough so that it didn't look like I was taking the p***, but considering my advance age and therefore declining fertility, we have agreed that we would continue and accept the financial consequences.

markandkate

If she is made redundant then she is entitled to redundancy pay at the rate paid to everyone else her pregnancy should make no difference. If she is made redundant then as the previous poster stated she would not be entitled to SMP as that can only be paid by an employer she would have to claim Maternity Allowance and there are two rates depending on how much National Insurance she has paid

Miss_Penny_Pincher_2

You could be entitled to SMP. The three eligibility criteria set by the DWP are that you are:

• Employed by your employer into the qualifying week which is the 15th week before the week your baby is due; and
• Employed by the same employer continuously (some breaks do not interrupt continuity) for at least 26 weeks into the 15th week before the week your baby is due. Part weeks count as full weeks, and
• Earning before tax an average of £87.00 a week for tax year 2007/8 and £90.00 a week in 2008/9. 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.

So to answer your question specifically - if you are made redundant after you hit the 15 weeks before EWC point then she will be entitled to SMP from her employer.