NHS Maternity Pay

iKarlCPFC

Hi Everyone,

Wondering if someone can help me wrap my head around NHS OMP+SMP.

My fiancé is going on Maternity mid June and we're trying to understand how maternity works. We're spreading her OMP over 39 weeks, but what does that mean for SMP. Should we still get the full 39 weeks SMP. NHS Handbook says OMP for 8 weeks full pay + 18 weeks 50% pay with SMP + 13 weeks SMP + 13 weeks unpaid.

Do we not get SMP for the first 8 weeks because she get's 8 weeks full wage? So we're only entitled to 31 weeks SMP instead of 39? I'm very confused.

Any help is much appreciated.

Cheers.

chrisbur

The SMP is a minimum figure that the employer is required to pay, provided that this figure or more than this figure is paid then it is considered that the full SMP has been paid.  As the first eight weeks are paid at a higher rate than SMP then the SMP is considered to have been paid.  The next 18 weeks would also in most cases cover the SMP required payment as being more than the SMP lower rate ( if it was not enough all that would be needed was enough to top it up to the SMP lower rate) but the NHS gives a better deal than this as it pays the 50% plus the lower SMP rate up to a maximum of 100% of full pay.
So in reality the NHS pays quite a bit more than the required amount for SMP there is definitely no loss. 

iKarlCPFC

So what does that mean for when we spread the payment over 39 weeks then? Does that mean our first 2 months will be significantly less than the rest of the time? Now we're spreading over 39 weeks does that mean we get the full 39 weeks now? 

chrisbur

From  https://www.nhs24.scot/data/uploads/PDF/Human_resources/NHS 24 Maternity Leave Policy.pdf
" Staff can opt to have OMP paid in a different way, for example by combining the full and half pay amounts and spreading this equally over the maternity leave period.  It should be noted that this option only applies to OMP, therefore, during the 1st 8 weeks of maternity leave earnings will be lower as the SMP will still be offset."
This suggests to me that the gross amount paid will be the same however it is paid but would suggest talking to payroll they are best placed to advise on this.

Regarding the net pay the way the payment is spread could affect the NI that is deducted.  Without actual figures cannot say what affect.