I went on the government website to try and find out about maternity pay..and got very confused lol. I know NHS workers get more maternity pay than normal...can anyone explain how it works?
thanks

Hiya,
I am a nurse working for the NHS and it depends on how long you have worked for the NHS for. Basically you have to have been employed by them for at least 6 months prior to falling pregnant so that you have been there for a year by the time you are 11 weeks away from your EDD. This then entitles you to occupational maternity pay which depends on which trust you work for; my trust pays me 90% of my pay for the first 8 weeks and then half pay plus SMP for 18 weeks. This means that you receive approximately 6 months paid leave and you are then entitled to a further 3 months SMP (taking you up to 39 weeks) and a further 3 months unpaid leave.

As I say, it does appear to differ from trust to trust but only normally by a week or two for the initial paid leave at 90%.

If you havent been employed long enough then you get the initial 8 weeks or so at 90% of your pay but you go straight onto basic SMP up until 39 weeks.

If you contact your personnel department they will send you a copy of their maternity policy; I also found mine on the trust intranet.

Good luck with it.

Becky

27+2

Hi
Have been a nurse in the NHS for nearly 4 years so I think i'm entitled to everything....does being on 1/2 pay +SMP make a huge difference to your overall salary? I mean did you notice a big difference?

oh and does it matter that i've worked for 2 different trusts? I've been with this trust (UCLH) since July

[Modified by: SarahG80 on January 06, 2009 07:51 PM]

It used to be that you needed have worked for the same trust for 6 months prior to falling pregnant but I think some of them have changed their policy so that you just have to have been employed by the NHS for 6 months. Again, I think this depends on which trust you work for.

With regard to the overall income, I'm not sure as I dont start maternity leave until the beginning of March but as SMP is currently just short of ??120 per week, I dont think it will be hugely different.

I'm on band 7 so one of the few well paid nurses- the half + smp knockes lots off me (about ??400). Am dreading the 6-9 month period on smp alone and not going to take any of the unpaid from 9-12.