Benefits on Maternity Leave

bscholey31

Hello All,

just looking for a bit of advice my wife works for the NHS & is coming to the end of her paid maternity period but still has another 3 months off work on maternity but no wage, now I’m just to wondering are we entitled to any benefits to help out over the next 3 months I’m in full time employment which helps but it’s a minefield out there trying to see if there’s any help.

thanks in advance 

poppy12345

bscholey31 said:

Hello All,

just looking for a bit of advice my wife works for the NHS & is coming to the end of her paid maternity period but still has another 3 months off work on maternity but no wage, now I’m just to wondering are we entitled to any benefits to help out over the next 3 months I’m in full time employment which helps but it’s a minefield out there trying to see if there’s any help.

thanks in advance 

The only benefit possible would be Universal Credit. As it's a means tested benefit then you would need to claim as a couple and your joint circumstances would be taken into consideration. Use a benefits calculator to check entitlement. You need to put both your details into it. https://www.entitledto.co.uk/benefits-calculator/Intro/Home?cid=732e995f-0c6f-4699-95cc-78cac335b63f

Sncjw

Does she have any holiday owed from last year's holiday? If so that could help cover some of the weeks if she uses that.

sammyjammy

What was the plan for the three months unpaid?  Is it possible she can return to work?

kaMelo

She can definitely return to work, taking twelve months maternity leave is not mandatory, indeed the time could be shared with her husband taking the three months off instead..

Rubyroobs

Whether you are eligible for Uc will depend on a few factors - how many children you have, whether you have rent to pay and what your net monthly income is, how often you are paid and whether you have savings etc.

peteuk

what what you don’t mention is the amount of time she has had off to date.

I therefore assume she’s past the SMP dates.

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is paid for up to 39 weeks. You get:

• 90% of your average weekly earnings (before tax) for the first 6 weeks
• £156.66 or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) for the next 33 weeks

Given that we have past April her new leave year should have started, can (as someone has already said) she take leave to eat up some of the last three months, or can she return to work.