Any Advice?

[VioletOrchid]

My partner and I will hopefully be trying for a baby in 5 months time (September)
and I'm a little concerned about Maternity pay. In september I will be starting a year long college course, aiming to go to university the following september.
I know that it will be hard to do uni while pregnant, but I've been waiting a long time for the chance to have a baby, so don't want to put it off for another 4 years until all my education's done!!
When I start uni next september I intend to leave work. So this means I might end up being on maternity leave for a couple of months with no intention of going back. Do I have the right to ask my employer for SMP? He'll basically be paying for me not to be there, then have to get someone else to replace me. To make things more awkward my partner works in the same office as me, so I can't just get the money, screw the boss over and run!

Am I overcomplicating matters? Will it be ok to do this, or should I just put having a baby off again? Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Pearls18]

I haven't followed completely. But basically you get SMP if you have been there for at least a week before the period of the cycle you fall pregnant I think, it's basically not long before can't remember the exact, then you have to work right up and through week 25 of pregnancy, after that you have qualified, you can officially go on maternity from 29 weeks, then you get your 39 weeks of SMP and don't have to go back, your employer will get the money back from the government from SMP so don't feel guilty.

So in summary, work through and finish at 29 weeks and you're golden, I basically did the same as I was in a fixed term contract.

The only difference is if your employer has enhanced maternity, the qualifying objectives are usually a bit stricter and you often hav to go back to work at the end for a minimum time otherwise you will have to pay it back. If you knew you weren't going back you'd just take SMP.