Statutory Maternity Pay - Concerned

sophlouwhit

Hi guys, so i started my maternity leave 20th April. I spoke to my manager prior to this and requested a statement and a list of when payments will be made, he put me into contact with the HR department. Anyway, i spoke to HR a week ago over the telephone after a email and they said that this Monday gone they would send me a statement - they havent. I am entitled to maternity pay but concerned that for some reason it wont be paid - what can i do if this happens?

To add, i also emailed them 2 days ago to chase this up and got no reply so far... Its a stressful start to my mat leave as i feel paranoid they will wriggle out of paying it and being so late on now and leave started i wont get any pay at all... please can someone advise legally where i stand to being entitled to maternity pay.

KatrinaWaves

Have you check the entitlement to stat maternity pay on the govt website?

If you meet these then they can’t ‘wriggle’ out.

why would your payments be any different to your normal payments? Has a payday gone by with no payment? 

Honestly worry when you don’t get paid. I’m not sure what advice you need. 

gettingtheresometime

Admittedly it was nearly 30 years ago but I got paid my maternity pay on my normal salary dates

BrassicWoman

HR in most places are flat out dealing with layoffs, furlough and grant claims.

Be patient.

Dox

sophlouwhit said:

Hi guys, so i started my maternity leave 20th April. I spoke to my manager prior to this and requested a statement and a list of when payments will be made, he put me into contact with the HR department. Anyway, i spoke to HR a week ago over the telephone after a email and they said that this Monday gone they would send me a statement - they havent. I am entitled to maternity pay but concerned that for some reason it wont be paid - what can i do if this happens?

To add, i also emailed them 2 days ago to chase this up and got no reply so far... Its a stressful start to my mat leave as i feel paranoid they will wriggle out of paying it and being so late on now and leave started i wont get any pay at all... please can someone advise legally where i stand to being entitled to maternity pay.

You started maternity leave on 20 April, you spoke to HR a week ago, then e-mailed them 2 days ago.... 2 days and no reply!!! You don't think you are being just a bit optimistic about how much resourcing they have to deal with queries, perhaps? Do you have any reason at all (apart from pregnancy anxiety, which can of course be overwhelming at the best of times - and these are anything but the best of times) to think you won't be paid maternity pay if you qualify for it? 

Savvy_Sue

Even if they did post out a statement on Monday, the post is definitely taking longer round here. 

[Deleted User]

A letter sent for me on Tuesday 21st April managed to arrive today so I don't think the post is greatly delayed. 

gettingtheresometime

I don't understand why the OP would want a list of when payments would be made in the first place. As I said above I got paid my maternity pay on my regular pay dates. 

Why would any company pay maternity pay on a different date??

Brynsam

sophlouwhit said:

please can someone advise legally where i stand to being entitled to maternity pay.

No, because we know nothing about you, when you joined the employer etc, but it's easy to check for yourself: https://www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave

If you have a statutory entitlement to maternity pay, why all the anxiety? Making a song and dance because you contact HR a whole TWO DAYS ago and they haven't yet got back to you...of course they haven't; they are run off their feet sorting out the utter chaos being caused by the current lockdown. 

You seem to be getting yourself into a state over nothing, which isn't good for you or the baby. Give the poor souls in HR a break - and give yourself one, too.

Savvy_Sue

gettingtheresometime said:

I don't understand why the OP would want a list of when payments would be made in the first place. As I said above I got paid my maternity pay on my regular pay dates. 

Why would any company pay maternity pay on a different date??

I agree they wouldn't pay on a different date, but the payments will almost certainly vary from month to month depending on how many 'weeks' for SMP purposes fall within the pay period. for example in the OP's case:

Month 1: mix of normal salary and 1 or 2 weeks SMP @ 90%
Month 2: either 4 or 5 weeks of SMP @ 90%
Month 3: either 4 or 5 weeks of SMP @ 90%
Month 4: at some point in this month SMP reduces from 90% to the ongoing rate.
Month 5 - 9: either 4 or 5 weeks SMP

We do get a statement of the payments we'll make and pass this on. I can see why it matters because if you get 5 weeks' worth in Month 2 and assume that's what you'll get the following month, only to find you don't, that's a nasty shock, but the information is available.