New Job and stressed about maternity pay

[Peppermint25]

Good morning everyone,

I wondered if anyone can help me as im beginning to get very stressed out about maternity pay.

I am teacher who recently started a new position (26th November 2012) and have since found out I am pregnant. I am over the moon about my pregnancy but am now worried I wont be entitled to SMP as I have read several things online saying I must have worked 26 weeks prior to the 15 week qualifying date before my baby is due (15th July 2013). Can anyone shed some light on this and let me know if I can qualify, and if not then what the standard maternity pay from the job centre is? Also, can anyone let me know how much I should receive of my salary for the first weeks and then how much I should subsequently receive. Any help would be amazing as I am totally confused and in the dark about it all!

Thanks a lot in advance!xxx

 

[My_First]

So if you are due 15th July by my calculations your 15th week is 1st April, so you would not have worked there long enough to get smp. However assuming that you worked before your current job you can get maternity allowance. This will be £135 odd a week or 90% of your salary whichever is the lowest. This will be paid for 39 weeks.

 

[Dinah93]

As you're a teacher there should be a council maternity policies document on the intranet. However if you don't qualify then it will only be the £135 a week from the job centre for 39 weeks, assuming you were employed previously. I'm not sure what happens if you were not earning previously.