Good News For Expectant Mums

Working women expecting a baby from April Fool's Day onwards will now be paid for longer during their maternity leave. And, no, it's not a joke.

Any working woman who has a baby from April 1st onwards will be able to take advantage of new rules governing maternity leave. The most valuable change is probably an increase in the time that you can claim Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP).

The move is designed to enable expectant and new mothers to take up to nine months (39 weeks) off with at least some income coming in. And this will apply to all women regardless of length of service at their current job.

Under the current rules working women can take up to 26 weeks of 'ordinary' maternity leave, during which time you can expect some form of pay, followed by 26 weeks of 'additional' maternity leave without pay. In other words, you can take up to a year off but will only be entitled to be paid during the 'ordinary' leave period.

The 'pay' you're currently entitled to during the relevant 26-week period includes at least 90% of your salary for the first six weeks of maternity leave followed by a standard amount -- £108.85 a week at present -- for the remaining weeks (unless your employer offers extra benefits such as increased maternity pay on top of what you are entitled to under the law). Your employer has to pay you for the first six weeks but the subsequent standard amount is refunded to your employer by the government.

Under the new rules, while the 'ordinary' leave and 'additional' leave periods will technically remain the same, the government has extended the number of weeks you're actually entitled to be paid to 39 weeks in total. So, if you decide to take a full year off, you will at least get some form of income for the first nine months of it.

A further advantage is that it has extended the time period where -- if your employer contributes to an occupational pension scheme on your behalf -- they will have to do so for as long as you are receiving SMP.

More useful for your employer is that you will now have to give at least 8 weeks notice of the date you intend to return to work instead of the current 4 weeks.

There's a handy leaflet explaining the new rules [pdf file] as well as those which apply to non-working expectant women. There's also information on paid paternity leave for your partner and your right to ask for flexible working on your return to work.