Confused about mat leave and mat pay

[loeylo]

I'm just wondering if anyone can help me. I'm currently a supply teacher and have been in the one school since December (so before I was pregnant) and working for the one local authority since then. So I have continual employment since 1/12/15 and will continue to be employed until 26/06/15 which is the first day of the summer holidays.

I have applied for, and have interviews for, 6 permanent jobs in the same council. The interviews are all next week and the start of the following week. I will still be under 24 weeks when I am appointed, should I be successful, and no-one in the authority knows I am pregnant yet as I am worried it may influence their decision to appoint me (or rather not to appoint me!) my question is basically because I have had continual employment with the one council then would I get maternity pay or would it still just be maternity allowance?

 

[littlesteph]

should still be mat pay, I know with the company I work with if you were to go to another store with in the company you still get may pay, I would have thought your line of work would be the same, sorry not much help.

 

[loeylo]

The thing which is worrying me is that they may end my contract in June then give me a new contract starting in August, meaning technically my employment has been broken despite me not missing a single days work, it has just been the summer holiday!

 

[MummyKP]

I'm also a supply teacher, and I'm intrigued to see what I will get. I've been on long term since the new year, and I'm there until mid July when we break up for the summer. I'll be 27/28 weeks pregnant then. I get paid through my supply agency so I'm not sure if I'll get SMP, I'm really hopin I do. I'm not going to know for a while yet, my midwife won't give me my matb1 form until my appt at 25+3 despite my agency wanting it by 25 weeks. I hope your pregnancy doesn't affect you in your interviews!

 

[MummyKP]

Also do they not base what we get on our income before 25 weeks?

 

[loeylo]

There seems to be no accurate info out there on what we will get! I have never been out of work since I qualified two school years ago, however I have worked in three different councils so I'm worried that will influence it.

Hiding my bump at walkarounds, interviews etc is difficult, I'm up against the same people for quite a few jobs and they are super glam, I only have a few clothes which hide my bump properly so I seem to be repeating outfits a lot! I'm sure I look pregnant even in loose tops!

 

[MummyKP]

Have you completed the maternity pay calculator on the gov website? It says that I should get SMP - 6 weeks of 90% of my weekly earnings and then the rest would be £139 a week the same as everyone. I'll be glad to hear what I get just so we can plan ahead. If you get offered one of the posts will you start in September for a few weeks then go on maternity?

 

[loeylo]

I checked but I wasn't sure my answers were correct tbh and I don't want to bank on getting more than I thought, I just need a straight answer but don't know were to turn to get it until I tell my work, which I can't do until after the interviews.

I'm in Scotland so I finish up for summer in 2 weeks and go back mid August, I'm due mid October (we have a weeks holiday in mid October) so I will hopefully work as near to my due date as possible, we have a long weekend two weeks before I'm due so I would like to make it until the end of September. Maybe wishful thinking as it will be really hard to go back after 7 weeks off as I will be 32 weeks by then, so still 8 weeks before I'm due!

 

[MummyKP]

Wow I didn't realise the holidays were so different in Scotland to England and Wales. What's your plan if you aren't successful with one of your interviews if you don't mind me asking? Will you go back on supply? I'm not sure what to do as we go back September 1st, I'll be 33 weeks pregnant then, and it seems a bit too early to go on maternity, but I also know I won't want to be working after 6 weeks off, plus supply is so quiet in those first few weeks of the academic year! So much to consider!!

 

[loeylo]

Okay now I am really confused, I put my details I to the yougov site. It asked if I will still be employed on the 28th of June, I said no and I only get te £138 but if I say yes I get 6 weeks at 90%. I finish on the 26th! I guess it depends if they count the holidays as a break in employment or not, it would suck to miss out by three days.

I even tried changing my due date as I have had a few, I changed it from the 13th to the 17th and it didn't move the employment date from the 28th so I'm a bit confused!

 

[geordiemoo]

Although I've never been on supply while pregnant I used to supply teach and I have a feeling that even if you get appointed to one of the new jobs it may still class as 2 periods of employment - not sure if it's different because its the same council? At worst though even if you end up with maternity allowance rather than SMP the only bit you'll lost out on is the first 6 weeks at 90%, I know it's a few £100 but you will still qualify for pay for the rest of time. My advice would be as well if you don't obtain permanent employment would be to claim JSA through the holidays and look for work. That will give you some pay through the holidays and the last few weeks before the mat pay kicks in.

 

[MummyKP]

It must be that the dates they asked if you will be working are classed as the qualifying week or not. Try not to stress over it, see how your interviews go next week and then get your matb1 form in ASAP so you can plan from there based on what you are entitled to!

A few supply teachers said they claim JSA over the summer holidays. How much is it do you know?

 

[geordiemoo]

It's up to £57.90 if you're aged 18-24 and then up to £73.10 for over 25s. I did it for 2 summers, it's worth it! I know you have to prove you're looking for work but that's fine, you just do job searching and put applications in for anything you think is suitable...essentially what you normally do but you just record it. If you claim JSA contribution based they generally let you spend a few months focussing your search on what you choose before they make you expand it which is fine as by that time you'll be on maternity leave. At then end of the day it's always worth seeing if you could be eligible...as low as it is, it's better than nothing!