NHS pension whilst on maternity leave

frenchbaguette

This is my first month of maternity leave; I have opted to spread my payments evenly. I've seen my payslip and my pension has charged at the full amount I would have been paid. So I was paid £3490.03 but this was reduced by £2349.06 to give £1140.97 ordinary maternity pay. I also have £235.52 as I didn't officially start maternity leave until a few days into October so this is from my basic pay. My pension has charged £372.56. I do pay 10% pension but surely I should have paid £137.65 as that is 10% of what I was actually paid pre-tax. Instead they've charged 10% of what I would have been paid had I not opted to spread my payments. 
Surely this is an error? Or will they always charge against what I would have been paid without spreading the payments so once my payments are more than now, will they charge less? 
I really can't afford to pay my pension at what I would have been paid were I not on maternity leave. 
This is my second child but I didn't spread my payments last time and I paid my pension according to what I was actually paid that month that time but I know the pension rates have changed literally this month so have they also changed it that I am now expected to pay the full amount I would have if not on leave does anyone know please? 

Marcon

frenchbaguette said:

This is my first month of maternity leave; I have opted to spread my payments evenly. I've seen my payslip and my pension has charged at the full amount I would have been paid. So I was paid £3490.03 but this was reduced by £2349.06 to give £1140.97 ordinary maternity pay. I also have £235.52 as I didn't officially start maternity leave until a few days into October so this is from my basic pay. My pension has charged £372.56. I do pay 10% pension but surely I should have paid £137.65 as that is 10% of what I was actually paid pre-tax. Instead they've charged 10% of what I would have been paid had I not opted to spread my payments. 
Surely this is an error? Or will they always charge against what I would have been paid without spreading the payments so once my payments are more than now, will they charge less? 
I really can't afford to pay my pension at what I would have been paid were I not on maternity leave. 
This is my second child but I didn't spread my payments last time and I paid my pension according to what I was actually paid that month that time but I know the pension rates have changed literally this month so have they also changed it that I am now expected to pay the full amount I would have if not on leave does anyone know please? 

See https://faq.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/knowledgebase/article/KA-04486/en-us. 

The NHS factsheet it links to is quite old (2018): https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/2018-09/Maternity, paternity, parental and adoption leave (09.2018) (V5.0).pdf

Probably best to contact the scheme's administrators and ask them to confirm. If it's an error - which sounds likely - you'll need to contact them anyway, so might as well start there!