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FOOL SCHOOL
You are aware, aren't you that babies throw up a lot? And that they wet themselves several times a day and cry all night? And that they can't just go to the fridge and help themselves to last night's leftovers when they're hungry? Ultimately, you're the one who's going to have to sort it all out for them -- even if you do have helpful, hands-on partners, relatives or nannies.
It costs a huge amount to raise a child -- and that's not counting the emotional cost. Just think of all the tantrums when they hit the Terrible Twos (from both of you!), and the worries you'll have when they go to school for the first time, start getting bullied or failing their exams, or hanging round with unsuitable friends. And have I mentioned the overdrafts that they'll expect you to pay off for them when they go to college or university? And then they'll marry the wrong person and have kids themselves and -- Yikes -- it starts all over again!
You sure you really want to go for this? Sigh! Okay then -- let's start by having a look at how you can get through the first year of this lifelong trauma without losing too much money, your rights to your job and your will to live. We are, of course, talking about your maternity rights, which include how much time off you can have and how much you'll get paid while on leave (note avoidance of the term "holiday"!). The following numbers apply for the year April 2002-April 2003.
First of all, ALL female employees are entitled to 18 weeks maternity leave regardless of how long they have worked for their employer. This entitlement is increased to 29 weeks -- counting from the time the baby is born -- for those who have worked for their employer for at least a year before maternity leave starts. This latter point is a bit confusing but, essentially, you are allowed a maximum of 40 weeks leave under the rules.
The good news is that from April 2003, the statutory period of maternity leave will be extended from 18 weeks to 26 weeks. This doesn't extend the 40-week period, but it does mean mothers can claim a further 8 weeks of maternity pay.
New regulations also now allow BOTH parents to take 13 weeks leave each -- for each child. However, this new "parental" leave can be taken at any time until the child reaches 5 years old so it doesn't strictly come under maternity rights. It just enables you to extend your time off work without losing your right to return to your job. And don't forget your paid holiday entitlement too. If you do some sums, and you qualify for the full Monty in the first place, you'll realise you could take more than a year off without losing your right to return to work. It's a question of whether you can afford to, though.
At the moment, you only have a statutory right to be paid during the first 18 weeks of your maternity leave and, put simply, you will only get the relevant amounts if you got pregnant after you started your job: that is, if you've worked for at least 41 weeks before the birth. The full entitlement is split into two parts.
During the first 6 weeks of maternity leave you are entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay of 90% of your salary. For the next 12 weeks of maternity leave you are entitled to receive a flat rate of £75 a week (increasing to £100 a week from April 2003). Some employers (though not many) will pay your full salary throughout the entire 18-week period.
All maternity or parental leave subsequent to the 18 weeks will be unpaid (unless you have a generous employer, of course).
It is worth remembering that the laws regarding maternity rights were brought in to stop working women from being penalised for having a baby. This has effectively been achieved by assuming that the period of leave is part and parcel of your employment contract. And, as such, you are entitled during the statutory 18-week period (apart from the pay aspect) to all the rights and benefits you would be enjoying if you were still going to work every day. So you can keep your company car and your mobile phone and know that your employer's occupational pension contributions will continue to be paid while you're away, that you'll get any pay rises or bonuses you're entitled to and that your holiday entitlement will continue to accrue.
Your employer also has rights, though, and it's important to stick to the rules as, in some instances, you could lose your entitlement to the full statutory allowance if you break them. For example, you must provide written notification to him/her of your intended leave of absence within a specific time period, and the same goes for when you decide you want to return to work.
In general, it is always best to liaise with your Personnel Department, if you have one, or with the Department of Social Services if you don't. In the case of the former, make sure you ask to see the Staff Handbook regarding the benefits your own employer offers -- personnel staff have a lot of complicated legislation and company policies to deal with and they get it wrong sometimes, so it's worth checking things out yourself! One woman I know was told she was only entitled to the statutory pay outlined above and decided she could only afford to take the first six weeks off when she got 90% of her salary. Twelve further weeks on the basic flat rate was out of the question. It fell to the lowly secretary to tell her it was her company's policy to pay 100% of her salary for the full 18 weeks!
The amount of money you are entitled to will vary if you've worked for your employer for less than six months or if you were already pregnant when you started work. It will also vary if you are a part-timer who isn't earning enough to pay National Insurance contributions or if you are self-employed or unemployed. In these circumstances, the DSS will pay a statutory maternity allowance, which is similar to the £75 rate.
Other benefits
But what if women do not fulfil the criteria required for Statutory Maternity Pay. For example, you may be newly unemployed, self-employed, or have recently changed jobs. Or you may not have worked for a long time.
In most cases, what you'll get is the Maternity Allowance -- and it's not a lot!
The Maternity Allowance is payable by the Benefits Agency if you fall into one of the following categories:
Essentially, if you have been earning at least £30 a week on average for at least 26 weeks in the 'test' period (66 weeks before the week your baby is due), then you will be entitled to a Maternity Allowance of £75 a week.
However, who have not been earning at all during the previous 15 months will not be entitled to Maternity Allowance, and will need to look at Incapacity Benefit, Income Support or Family Credit. The Benefits Agency should automatically check to see if you qualify for any of these but it's worth giving them a nudge to make sure.
You can get some extra help from the Government if you're on certain benefits though. It's a one-off payment of up to £500 (called a Sure Start Maternity Grant) and you can claim it if you, or your partner, are getting one of the following:
If you're still a bit confused about what rights you have, then check out the website of the Department of Trade and Industry or ring your local Benefits Agency.
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