Maternity Pay
The last thing we want to think about is money especially as soon as our baby is born. So to make sure you get your entitlement to maternity pay follow the facts below and you can’t go wrong!
STATUTORY MATERNITY PAY
If a woman stops work to have a baby, she is entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay (“SMP”) during her maternity leave provided the following conditions have been met:
- she has been employed by the employer for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before the EWC;
- she has average earnings at or above the lower earnings limit for the payment of national insurance contributions for the 8 weeks before the 14th week before the EWC;
- she has given 28 days’ notice to the employer that she intends stopping work due to pregnancy and to receive SMP;
- she has medical evidence of the expected week of childbirth;
- she is pregnant (or has already given birth) at the start of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth; and
- she has stopped work (wholly or partly) because of pregnancy.
If a woman is entitled to SMP, the first 6 weeks are payable at the higher rate, being ninety per cent (90%) of her average weekly earnings. For the following 20 weeks, she will receive the lesser of ninety per cent (90%) of her average weekly earnings or the standard rate determined from time to time.
Maternity Pay
