Maternity pay

dannyjebb

Hi all,

We have just had a baby this week and my partner has been off on MAT leave since 21-12-15. She works for the NHS and has chosen to have a full 12 months off and have her pay split over the 12 months, last month was a split month as she was in work for 20 of the 31 days. this month though she has her payslip at only £586 after tax. The break down is
saturday enhancement - 36
OMP 1916
OMP pay -1289

PAYE 71.80R
Pension 7.1% 139

her yearly salary is 22236

We were expecting SMP to be paid but having just spoken to payroll they say this isn't paid until the 9th week of MAT leave which sounds strange? From reading on the GOV.UK website it says SMP is 90% of weekly earnings for 6 weeks then 140 per week after that.

Can anyone let us know if this is right before we try ringing HMRC?

Thanks

pmlindyloo

From your post your partner is being paid occupational maternity pay not statutory maternity pay.

Read this link

http://www.nhsemployers.org/your-workforce/pay-and-reward/nhs-terms-and-conditions/nhs-terms-and-conditions-of-service-handbook/parents-and-carers/maternity-leave-and-pay-section-15

Your partner has also asked this to be spread over the 12 months - have they agreed to this?

You need to get out the calculator and work out whether the figures are correct based on the link and the spreading over 12 months.

dannyjebb

Thanks very much,

From speaking to payroll again and asking them to explain properly how its all worked out they said,

8 weeks of full pay (so no SMP for the first 8 weeks as you are getting full pay already as OMP),

then 18 weeks half pay plus SMP at £139 per week

then 13 weeks of SMP at £139 only

then the final 13 weeks are unpaid but as she is being paid over the full year she will still get an amount each month.

We have worked out her pay is £427 per week whilst she was working, so (427 x 8) + (427 x 0.5 x 18) = 7259 then split over 52 = 139.59 per week.

then 33 weeks go SMP at 139 per week = 4587 (but as she is paid full pay for 8 weeks so won't get SMP for the first 2 weeks of this payment so total = 4309 paid from weeks 9-39 of MAT leave.

So all in all she should get £139 per month for the first 8 weeks as OMP, then 18 weeks of £139 OMP + £139 SMP, then 13 weeks of £139 SMP only then the final 13 weeks of £139 as OMP again.

Sorry its a little long winded All very confusing

Danny

NYM

SMP is paid for 39 weeks.

dannyjebb

NYM wrote: »

SMP is paid for 39 weeks.

According to the payroll dept at the hospital the first 8 weeks aren't paid as they are paying her full pay so she doesn't get SMP until the 9th week. I read it differently when we was budgeting.

Danny

Darksparkle

The way I read it, in the first 8 weeks you do get SMP.

The amount of SMP is then deducted from the full pay.

So the SMP + (full pay - SMP) = full pay.

NYM

dannyjebb wrote: »

According to the payroll dept at the hospital the first 8 weeks aren't paid as they are paying her full pay so she doesn't get SMP until the 9th week. I read it differently when we was budgeting.

Danny

According to the link that pmlindyloo posted earlier,

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and NHS Occupational Maternity Pay (OMP)

If an employee qualifies for both SMP and NHS OMP this will be made up of:

• 8 weeks - Full pay less any SMP/SMA receivable
  
• 18 weeks - Half pay plus the flat rate of SMP (or average weekly earnings, whichever is lower) providing the total does not exceed full pay
  
• 13 weeks - Flat rate SMP (or 90% of their average weekly earnings, whichever is the lower
  
• Remaining 13 weeks Unpaid leave

8+18+13 = 39 weeks that SMP is paid