In need of help from any teachers - RE maternity leave second time round!

[jojo76]

Am totally confused about maternity leave/ pay after chatting with a friend today. I returned to work in July following maternity leave. I am now pregnant with number two - haven't told head yet...... looking forward to that one this week ... eek!!

Basically I thought that maternity leave was considered continuous service but my friend says that if you take additional maternity leave (after 26 weeks) unpaid, (which I did - 8 weeks of) you break continuous service and therefore don't qualify for further maternity pay and SMP - you need 26 weeks continuous service before 15th week before due date - I'll only have 23 since I returned from maternity leave. (if that makes any sense!!) Now I'm startig to panic!!

Just read this through - so confusing - just wondered if anyone had been in a similar situation and had any advice for me - it would be greatly appreciated, have been trawling that internet and have just got more and more confused!!!

thanks

Mum to a beautiful 10 month boy and expecting number two in March!:

 

[kat2504]

I am not sure about this at all. I suspect it will not count towards SMP unfortunately. However you will still be able to claim Maternity Allowance which is the same as SMP but with no tax! What you would lose out on would be the 90% pay for the first 6 weeks and the 12 weeks half pay thereafter. I think if you google something like Teachers Pay and Conditions or Burgundy Book you may find the answer. Or look on the NUT website and see if you get any answers.