Maternity leave/pay!

I'm 25 +5 and have no idea how to go about sorting my maternity leave and pay. I work part time (only 15 hours a week) and my boss has only just told me that I need to ask my midwife for the forms to apply for maternity leave although my midwife hasn't once mentioned it to me!!

Also, my boss doesn't even know if I am entitled to maternity pay but I'm aware there's a chance I could claim maternity allowance, again don't know how to go about applying for it as no one has mentioned it to me.

So is my midwife the person to go to about maternity leave and has anyone else a part time worker and know how to go about maternity allowance!?

Feel so fed up and stressed out any help and advice will be greatly appreciated!!x

[candiceandsesame]

You need a 'Mat B1' form signed and stamped by your midwife. Just ring them and they can leave it at your GP reception for you to collect. You don't need appt for that

Also I had to have my maternity leave in by my 25th week of pregnancy which my manager filled out with me.

Is it a small company that you work for?

Some don't offer maternity pay but you should get your statutory maternity pay and time off whilst they hold your job. Thats all I know really. I work for the NHS so they are pretty good at helping sort through all the paperwork.

But I think you need it in asap. Can't believe your boss has left it until now!!!

[Hidden in reply to candiceandsesame]

Okay I'll ring up tomorrow and he the form sorted.

Well I'm a cleaner in a school, but yea the company I work for is quite small.

Argh I know!! Even more so when I've asked numerous times and she said shed send out forms only to be told I need my midwife to do it. So frustrating!!!

[littlebean]

If you are in any doubt ring the benefits helpline for your area, that's what I did & they were really helpful. Good luck x

[Mom2be]

Hi check the government website gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/pay (hope it helps) x

[SilkeP]

My hospital/midwife team doesn't hand out the MAT B1 forms before 28 weeks - who knows why. But that means you're not too late if you're 25 weeks now.

You'll definitely get 39 weeks of government maternity pay which works out at about £500/month.

If just call the midwife as a start and get the MAT B1 form. Also make a photocopy of it. If you've got a partner/husband he should get two weeks of paternity leave with it (mine gets one week at full pay an one week half pay, I don't know whether that's standard though).

[mrsturner17]

Most standard procedure is to be given it once u pass the 20 week mark by ur midwife, you then take it to work and fill in your details and send it with a letter saying when u want to start ur leave and then that's ur part done as ur boss will send it to the tax people and they will write back to you to confirm when ur leave will be starting when and how much. Maternity pay you will receive and also when you are due back to work but before you send off ur matb1 and letter get copies of both and keep the copies send the originals to ur boss x

[SaraPeanut]

I've been through the same thing. You get your MAT B1 form around 25 weeks from your MW then take it to your boss who has to fill in an SMP form (which they can download from gov.uk) And you contact the job centre for an MA1 pack (or download it) that you fill in and send with your SMP and MAT B1 form so the government can pay you. X

[SilkeP]

I was also told by my employer that I had to hand in the form once I would have my 20 week scan, but when I had that scan and check up, the hospital told me that they don't hand it out until 28 weeks. I was concerned and spoke to my employer but they didn't seem fussed. Looks like there's no definite deadline... Just try and get it sorted asap!

[nkcl]

You need to get it all handed in now, 15 weeks before your due date

I agree that you can download the forms from the website

[Hidden]

Got it all sorted, got my mat b1 form and my maternity allowance forms sent out in the post. Thanks everyone for comments