Maternity pay calculation

Beckyboo1986_2

Hi
I'm not sure whether this something specific to each company but does anyone know whether maternity pay is calculated as an average of ex previous months or whether it's based on the last months pay prior to leave?
Thanks
Becky

static266

For my wife I believe it was an average of the previous 12 weeks. 

68ComebackSpecial

This explains the pay periods used for calculating SMP (average weekly earnings): https://www.gov.uk/guidance/statutory-maternity-pay-manually-calculate-your-employees-payments

chrisbur

There is a calculator here....
https://www.gov.uk/maternity-paternity-calculator

This gives you the amount that your employer has to legally pay.  Broadly 90% of the average earnings over the 8 weeks up to the qualifying week which is 15 weeks before the expected date of birth.  They can pay more than this so could use a different method so long as this minimum payment is made.

Also the SMP will have to be re-calculated later if there is a pay rise.  Details here under.... Employee earnings affected by a pay rise   at....
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/statutory-maternity-pay-employee-circumstances-that-affect-payment#employee-earnings-affected-by-a-pay-rise

Beckyboo1986_2

Thanks for the replies. I am entitled to 26 weeks full pay. The reason I ask if it's an average of previous months is I'm due a bonus and pay rise the month previous to maternity leave starting so I wondered if this might be included. It's a long shot but could certainly be a nice up pay.

chrisbur

Beckyboo1986_2 said:

Thanks for the replies. I am entitled to 26 weeks full pay. The reason I ask if it's an average of previous months is I'm due a bonus and pay rise the month previous to maternity leave starting so I wondered if this might be included. It's a long shot but could certainly be a nice up pay.

In this case the method used to calculate the maternity pay up to your employer though I would expect the details of how it is done would be available in your contract or some terms of employment book.  As said before this payment must be at least equal to the SMP figure so if for example the bonus was not included but it fell so that it was included in the SMP calculation there might be some extra to pay, also any pay increases might also affect the amount due and certainly would if the bonus affected it.
Probably best to wait until you know what the weekly rate is going to be then run the figures through the SMP calculator to see how they compare.