I've worked at my current job for the past 10 years, but have been on maternity leave for the past year. In this time, I had the first 13 weeks at full pay, second 13 weeks at half pay and the third 13 weeks on SMP. I started maternity leave on 4 July 2012. I have now just taken voluntary redundancy and will be officially unemployed at the end of the month when I will be 23 weeks pregnant, so I just miss out on being entitled to SMP as you need to be in employment in the 25/26th week of pregnancy. So I know that I can claim Maternity Allowance instead but will I still be entitled as it say to qualify, I need to have worked for at least 26 weeks of the 66 weeks before my due date (66 weeks before my due date would be 15 July 2012). So to sum up:
Been on maternity leave from 4 July 2012
Receiving 13 weeks full pay from this date, then half pay the following 13 weeks and SMP after that (on my payslip, it shows as SMP and Enhanced Maternity Pay)
I paid tax on those first 26 weeks' of maternity pay so I'm assuming I still qualify. It's just that, although I was employed, I wasn't actually working and on my payslips for the months that I did get paid, it shows as Enhanced Maternity Pay and SMP. Also just to say, the money I took home in those months was more than enough to qualify for Maternity Allowance.
Hope that all makes sense!
Been on maternity leave from 4 July 2012
Receiving 13 weeks full pay from this date, then half pay the following 13 weeks and SMP after that (on my payslip, it shows as SMP and Enhanced Maternity Pay)
I paid tax on those first 26 weeks' of maternity pay so I'm assuming I still qualify. It's just that, although I was employed, I wasn't actually working and on my payslips for the months that I did get paid, it shows as Enhanced Maternity Pay and SMP. Also just to say, the money I took home in those months was more than enough to qualify for Maternity Allowance.
Hope that all makes sense!