A First Time Guide to Maternity/Paternity Leave in the UK

If you’re soon to become a parent, then it’s important to plan out how you’re going to handle the work/life balance throughout your child’s first year. Maternity/Paternity pay in the UK is a fairly flexible system, allowing parents to design their leave around their needs.

Today we’ll be breaking down the basics of maternity/paternity leave, what your options are, and how you and your partner can create a plan that’s right for the both of you.

Maternity Pay in the UK

In the UK a pregnant person is entitled to up to one year of statutory maternity leave. Of those 52 weeks, you’re entitled to 39 weeks of statutory maternity pay. For the first 6 weeks of that leave you’ll be paid 90% of your average earnings. From then onwards you’ll receive £187.18 per week or 90% of your average earnings, whichever is lower.

Paternity Pay in the UK & Shared Leave

The partner of a pregnant person is entitled to 1 or 2 weeks of paid paternity leave with the option for shared parental leave.

Shared parental leave allows parents to split their time off so that both can spend more time and home, together with the newborn baby. This can be done all in one go or can be spread out into multiple shorter periods.

The important thing to note about this system is that shared leave allows you to be very flexible depending on your co-parenting style and health requirements. As new parents, it’s important to have on-going conversations about the best ways to support one another and how you choose to divide your shared leave will be a crucial part of that.

What to do if You’re Made Redundant

If you’re made redundant while on maternity leave, then the first thing you should do is check your contract. Many employment contracts include provisions for maternity and it’s possible that your contract may grant your rights beyond the legal minimum.

You should also make sure you’re given a valid reason for redundancy in writing. Valid reasons for redundancy include:

• Your employer moving out of your range
• Your job role no longer being required (or a reduction in the job role)
• The business closing down

If the reason given does not fall within one of these categories, then you may be able to pursue legal action.

It is illegal in the UK to fire someone because of their pregnancy.

After being made redundant, you are still entitled to your statutory pay for the remainder of your leave. Other maternity rights include the right to be offered a suitable alternative role if one can be found as well as redundancy pay/notice pay.

Maternity Benefits

While you’re pregnant, you may also be entitled to a series of financial benefits, including:

• Free NHS dental treatment
• Free NHS prescriptions
• Universal credit (if you have a low income)
• Maternity allowance (if you do not qualify for statutory maternity pay)
• Adoption pay

(Please note that some of the above may require you to provide proof of pregnancy/proof of birth or may be tied into other financial benefit schemes).

What to do if You’re Self Employed

Self employed people in the UK can still qualify for government maternity pay if they’ve been earning more than £30 per week for a period of at least 13 weeks (consecutive or nonconsecutive). How much money you get depends on your Class 2 national insurance contributions over the 66 weeks before the baby is due.

Depending on how many of those contributions you’ve paid, you could be eligible for anywhere between £27 and £187.18 per week. If you do unpaid work for your spouse or civil partners business, then you are entitled £27 a week for up to 14 weeks.

The Importance of Planning

Before we wrap up, we can’t stress enough the importance of planning. The weeks following childbirth can be a stressful and complicated time. The last thing you need during that period is an extra distraction.

Doing your research ahead of time, knowing your legal rights inside and out, and outlining a clear plan with your partner can go a long way to reducing that stress. We also recommend keeping your employer in the loop as much as possible so that everyone is on the same page about what’s happening.