Statutory Maternity Pay

[whoopsie]

As a newlywed, my husband and I have had the conversation about adding to our family in the near future. My concerns are about whether I'd be eligible for SMP. I've been employed in my current job for 11 months on a fixed term contract which has been extended until January. It will then be reviewed again. Am I actually eligile for SMP on a fixed term contract? If I get pregnant before January and they don't extend my contract, then I don't think I'd be entitled to anything.

Can anyone shed any light?

[Bel Bel]

The employee must have been in continuous employment for 26 weeks. You will need to provide your employer with a MATB1 usually given to you at the 20 week scan as proof of pregnancy.
You will get 90% of your average weekly wage for 6 weeks then it will be either the weekly standard rate of approx £125 or your weekly wage, whichever is less.
SMP is paid upto 39 weeks but you will need to check your entitlement as you haven't worked very long. You can have upto 52 weeks off legally but you obviously won't be getting paid the whole time.

This information booklet should help more

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/helpsheets/e15.pdf

[whoopsie]

I think I understand it as I need to have worked 26 weeks continuously with the same employer up to the 15th week before the baby due date. So, if I got a 6 month extension in January, and got preggers the same week, I'd be ok. That's probably unlikely to happen. It's annoying because I want to start trying now, but I'm not sure that's a good idea.

Thanks for that info BelBel.