Maternity pay and doing two jobs: ask the expert
I work full time for a company, working 37 hours and I have a second job with them in which I only work 1 hour per week teaching a fitness class. They have informed me that I will get maternity pay for both jobs for up to 52 weeks. I intend to take 39 weeks off, but would like to return to job 2 asap. Is it possible to go back to job 2 & lose the maternity pay for job 2 without it affecting the maternity pay I receive for my full-time job. I would really appreciate any advice you could offer. Also, my payroll department informed me that I received maternity pay for job 1 & 2 for 6 weeks, but after the 6 weeks I was only getting maternity pay for job 1. They advised me to speak to HR who told me my maternity pay was based on my earnings in July & August & I wouldn’t receive any more maternity pay for job 2 as it is based solely on my contracted 37 hours for job 1. Do you know if the period I receive maternity pay should be the same for both jobs?
You have already answered the first question on which I would need the answer i.e. do you qualify for SMP for both jobs? Your employer has told me that you are eligible. This is good news since this should mean that you can choose to take different times off for each job without losing any SMP. This would not be the same if you qualified for SMP for one job but not the other. The reason for this is because SMP entitlement is treated completely separately under each contract when earnings are not added together to work out National Insurance Contributions.
So it appears that you can return sooner to your fitness class than to your full-time job for which you can take the whole leave period if desired, together with some negotiated KIT (Keeping in Touch) days which you can negotiate with your employer.
In relation to statutory maternity pay where you have more than one role with the same employer, the key question is whether your employer treats your two incomes separately or together for the purposes of calculating national insurance contributions. If they treat your two roles separately, then you would receive SMP separately for each role. If they treat the two roles together, you would only receive one SMP payment based on your total earnings for both roles. You should ask your employer which of these applies to you. It seems likely given what you have said that they are treating the two roles separately for national insurance purposes but that you only meet the earnings threshold (approximately £97 per week) for the role you do 37 hours a week and, therefore, you are not receiving any SMP in relation to the second role. The 6 weeks’ pay you get for this second role might be as part of an occupational maternity scheme offered by your employer. It would be worth gaining clarity from them as to from where this originates.
In relation to returning to work early to your one hour a week role, this should be possible and should not affect your SMP entitlement as long as your employer is treating the two roles separately for national insurance purposes and as long as you were employer in both roles for the period from 15 weeks before your expected week of childbirth. If your employer is treating the roles together for national insurance purposes, this will affect your ability to return to one early whilst continuing to receive SMP for the other. Basically, if that is the case, you would not be able to come back from one early since it would be as if it was one job. You may be able to look into using KIT days to at least do some classes, although strictly speaking not “keeping in touch” for the purposes of the full time position, it would at least be keeping in touch with your employer.
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Comments [61]
Amy Laird says:
Hi
I am a full time nurse, i am due to go on maternity leave end of feb. I work for NHS full time 37.5hrs weekly and work as a bank nurse completing 20-30hrs a month. I have spoken to HMRC and advised that i am entitled too SMP for both jobs. Can you confirm this is correct? that you can recieve from both jobs at the same time.
Mandy Garner says:
Yes, you can get SMP from two separate jobs if you meeting the eligibility criteria in both. You can also stop and start your maternity leave at different times in each role.
Stacey Chandler says:
Hi, i am due to go on maternity leave in Oct,i work in a school and work 31 hours plus i do 10 hours cleaning a week. Will my SMP be worked out based on both wages combined as i pay NI,tax and pension pn the combined amount each month. Eg both sets of wages are on one pay slip and i pay according to the gross amount that month.
Mandy Garner says:
If you work in the same place doing two jobs and your pay is combined on one payslip ie you pay Class 1 National Insurance on the combined pay, your combined pay will be used to work out average weekly earnings for the purposes of SMP.
Anonymous says:
I wonder if anyone can help me? I am the non-resident parent to my 15 year old daughter who lives with her dad. I am due to go on maternity leave in a few weeks and I have just advised the CSA of this as I currently pay child maintenance by direct debit via them.
I have been told by someone at the CSA that deductions will be made from my statutory maternity pay. I am not sure if this is correct. The person I spoke to seemed unsure of his advice. I understand that non-resident mothers are not as common as fathers. I still want to provide for my daughter but also I am worried about finances as I will be £1500 a month worse off whilst I am on maternity leave.
Can anyone advise whether or not the CSA will enforce deductions from SMP?
Many thanks
Lily sunshine says:
Hi I have two jobs, job A I work 36 hours a week for d part 1 year, job 1 work 20 hours a week .on both jobs i am on a contract. Pls would get maternity pay on both jobs.
Mrs m says:
Hello I’m looking for a little help. I qualify for smp for two jobs that I have. I wondered if I can return to one job and stay off for the other and still receive the smp for one job?
Shawna Gollakner says:
hey there i was wondering if someone could help me out, If i am working 37.5 hours on my 1st job and 24 hours on my second how much tax would i pay ?
Anonymous says:
What if you work full time(36hours) with an agency from 18 weeks of pregnacy to 37weeks. Which means you have worked for 19weeks with the agency while pregnant,would you be entitl
e to SMP? Pls help
Editor: To qualify for SMP you have to have not been pregnant when you started the job and still be there as of the end of the 26th week of your pregnancy. If you qualify for SMP with your first job you would still get it for that, but not for the second job.
Anonymous says:
Hi, i have been working at my job A for 3 years, on 32 hours contract, which makes me entitle for SMP. But i just started a another 36hours, 3 months contract job with an agency. My pregnancy was in week 18th when i started 3 months contract with agency. Am not sure if i will be entitled to SMP with the agency.
Editor: I'm afraid you would not get SMP from your second job as you have to get pregnant after starting the job and still be in it at the 26th week of pregnancy to qualify.
Anonymous says:
I am currently on maternity leave from my full time role and getting SMP. Can I pick up a part time job (1 day a week) while on maternity?
Editor: If you start any paid job on maternity leave you would lose your SMP the week that job started. However, you can do self employed work without SMP being affected.
Anon says:
Hi… im on mat leave atm and want to pick up a second job part time also 1 day a week. I receive MA can i cancel the ma and start the job1 day per week? Whilst still being on mat leave from my 1st job?
Mandy Garner says:
The MA will stop the week you start any new employed work and you should inform HMRC. You need to check your contract for the first job to see if there is anything there about doing a second job.
Anonymous says:
I work two jobs.. one job is 24 hrs per week and the other is 8 hours per week…
I will get smp from my main job.. since you are entitled to 90%
Of ur pay for the first 6 weeks then go on to smp.. can anyone tell me if im entitled to 90%
Of my pay from my 8hr per wweek job for the first 6 weeks..
Also am I entitled to any holiday pay I'm owed form my 8hr job
Editor: If you qualify for SMP from your second job you can claim two lots of SMP. However, to qualify you need to have earned an average of at least £111 in the eight weeks before the 26th week of your pregnancy and to have been employed from just before you got pregnant. Otherwise you would only qualify for Maternity Allowance for the second job and you cannot claim both SMP and MA. However, if you have done your second job before the 26th week of your pregnancy you can restart your second job at any point without losing SMP from the first job.
Anonymous says:
Hi, I am working in two jobs. One job I do full time (37,5) a week and I have a contract and i know how much and how i am gonna be paid. But with my other job I am on Zero hours contract and there is nothing said about maternity leave and I do about 20 hours a week sometimes more ( so I pay taxes and NI) am i intiteled for SMP from my second job? Many thanks 🙂
Editor: SMP is determined by your average weekly earnings in the eight weeks up to the 26th week of your pregnancy. You have to have earned on average at least £111 in those weeks. If you earn differed amounts in each week but the average comes to at least £111 you will qualify. You can get two lots of SMP if you qualify in both jobs, but you cannot claim SMP in one and Maternity Allowance in the other. ALso, have you done your second job since before you got pregnant?
Anonymous says:
Hi I am working 20hours a week and I am on maternity leave getting smp from WPD. I would like to return to job after 16 weeks of my baby both. Do I get SMP and salary both or my returning to job earlier will affect my SMP.?
Editor: Your SMP stops the week you resume work.
Anonymous says:
Hi wondering if you can help me, I am a nanny and have two jobs. A three day a week and a two day a week. Both jobs I am intitled to smp. Just wanted to know if I went back to my three day job could I still get smp from the two day job or would that have to stop too? Many thanks.
Editor: If you qualify for SMP from both jobs, you can return at different times without the SMP from the other job being affected.
Anonymous says:
I have a job 40 hours per week.i am working since 2 year ,so when I leave this job and start another job so my past job hour is calculating for the maternity.or my hour will be zero. So can you advice me for that
Editor: If you are applying for Maternity Allowance then the previous employment would count. However, if you are applying for SMP, you have to become pregnant after you start the job and stay in it until at least the 26th week of pregnancy or you will not be eligible. You also need to have earned at least an average of £111 a week in the eight weeks leading up to the 26th week of your pregnancy.
Anonymous says:
I have a job 37 hours per week. I am due to go on maternity leave in September and will get SMP from my employer.
I have been asked to cover another job with a different employer for 4 hours per week am I able to do this or will this effect my maternity pay?
Editor: Before the birth: you can work for a new employer and still receive SMP from your old employer before the birth. After the birth: once your baby has been born you cannot get SMP from your old employer if you start work for a new employer, unless you were employed by the new employer in the 15th week before your baby was due.
Anonymous says:
I am currently working full time but plan on leaving at the end of my pregnancy as I will not be returning following baby's birth. I qualify for MA but was wondering whether I would be able to do the occasional bank shift with a different company following baby's birth without it affecting the MA or would I have to not work full time and receive MA/start work full-time & not get MA??
Editor: I'm afraid if you do any work other than KIT days for your original job you will lose MA.
Anonymous says:
I currently work 23hours a week and I'm starting maternity leave in Sept, I will be receiving SMP for this job but I also work for an agency doing shifts as and when I am available, am I entitled to claim Maternity Allowance for this job as I do not meet the criteria for SMP?
Editor: I'm afraid you cannot claim MA at the same time as claiming SMP from another job. However, if you have been doing the job for before the 26th week of your pregnancy you can continue to do it during maternity leave from your other job without losing SMP.
Anonymous says:
I wonder if anyone can help me?
I have been employed for over 2 years as a nanny with the same family. I didn't sign a contract so now I don't know if I am entitled to only statutory maternity pay? Would appreciate any information
K x
Editor: If you are still employed by the 26th week of your pregnancy and are earning an average of at least £109 a week in the eight weeks leading up to the 26th week of your pregnancy you will qualify for SMP from your employer. If not, you should get Maternity Allowance, which you can claim from your local JobCentre Plus.
Anonymous says:
Hi, im wondering if you can help.
I currently have two jobs. First one is my main one working 37 hours a week. I have a second one working 4 hours a week.
I am pregnant and wish to take a year off my first employment. I want to return to the second job sooner (they pay my NI and Tax), however i have mixed information, as i have been told that i cannot work and claim SMP? But then i am told if i have worked for them for a long time i am okay to return to my second job sooner without it affecting my MA and SMP.
Please could you advise?
Basically i want to know if i am allowed to return to the second job without it affecting my maternity pay/smp from my first.
I only earn 40 p/w with the second job.
Editor: If you have been doing your second job from before your 26th week of pregnancy you can restart it at any point without it affecting your SMP from the first job.
Anonymous says:
Hi can you help please, I have two jobs one is for agency and the screen one is my permanent Job which i have been doing over 2 year now, and I used to do 35 hours a week as my contract hour.but when I got the agency one i reduce my hour to 12hhs a week because the agency one is Monday to Friday for the last two months now my agency stop giving me job so now I want to claim smp they told no because I have not worked for them up to 26 weeks and told me to go to job centre which i have got the form.but my other 12hrs week can pay smp but is not enough for me and the baby. please help Thanks.
Editor: To qualify for SMP you need to have worked for an employer from just before you got pregnant and to be earning an average of at least £109 a week in the eight weeks leading up to your 26th week. SMP is only calculated on earnings from one job at a time, not both combined. If you do not qualify, you can claim Maternity Allowance. However, you cannot get two lots of MA or get SMP and MA so if you qualify for SMP from one job it is likely it will be your best option to go for that. To find out about any other benefits you might be entitled to go to http://www.turn2us.org.uk
Anonymous says:
I'm wondering if somebody can help. I have 2 jobs. Job1: I work 10hours a week at £10p/h Job2: I work 15hours a week at £7.28 p/h. My first question is will I have to claim SMP for both jobs? My second question is, if one of my jobs falls under the SMP bracket, can I claim SMP for one and Maternity allowance for the other? Similarly, if both jobs fall under the bracket can I claim materniry allowance for each one?
Tax and national insurance is only deducted from Job2, although Job1 also goes through the books.
Please help as I have rang countless helplines and nobody seems to be able to tell me an answer.
Editor: To qualify for SMP you need to be earning at least £109 a week in the eight weeks leading up to the 26th week of your pregnancy, to have got pregnant after you started your job and to be still in your job at the 26th week of your pregnancy. If you qualify for SMP for both jobs you can claim two lots of SMP. However, you cannot claim SMP and MA or two lots of MA. You would have to claim just SMP or just MA on one of your jobs.
Anonymous says:
Hi, I'm due to go on Maternity in April 2014, from my full time employment I'm entitled to the following.
(26 weeks full pay, 13 weeks SMP & 13 weeks unpaid SMP)
I have a part time job (6 hours a week)Gross £250 a month £200 net – I'm not entitled to SMP from my part time job as I do not earn enough – my question is I would like to really go back to my part time job within a month say of having the baby – if I continue to receive payment of £200 a month from my part time job will this effect my SMP from my full time job. I'm concerned that my full time employer will request money back if I'm claiming SMP from them & getting paid £200 a month wages? If anyone can help I'd really appreciate it as HMRC were not very clear. Thank You 🙂
Editor: If you have been doing the part-time job as of the 26th week of your pregnancy it will not affect your SMP for your other job if you return. However, what you have described is contractual pay for the first 26 weeks so check your contract on that as each employer has different rules.
Anonymous says:
So can I still get smp from my first job even if I'm working at the second job aswell even though I won't get smp or maternity allowance from the second job?
Editor: yes if you qualify for SMP for the first job.
Anonymous says:
Hi I am currently working 2 afternoons and 2 mornings I will be continuing with this job, I also got offered a part time evening job I went to the interview before I got pregnant but they took long to set a start date so I will be starting at 17 weeks pregnant, both jobs pay more than £109 what will happen about my smp entitlement and maternity leave?
Editor: If you got pregnant before you startedd the first job and are still there by the 26th week of pregnancy you are entitled to SMP. You would not be entitled to SMP from the other job as you were already pregnant when you started and you cannot claim SMP and Maternity Allowance.
Anonymous says:
I have two jobs, "Job A" I am entitled to SMP, "Job B" I am not entitled to maternity pay. I have had both jobs since before the 15th week before childbirth.
Do I need to notify "Job A" that I have "Job B" when handing in my matb1 Form? Or am I able to go on maternity leave without ever notifying them I have "Job B"?
Thanks.
Editor: You don't have to notify them and you can continue to work for Job B while on maternity leave without losing SMP. However, it might be a good idea to inform your manager in case they find out through another route.
Anonymous says:
Hi. I have two jobs, both are part time and don't qualify for SMP. I should however qualify for MA. I am planning to be on ML from week 29 from one job (more physical) and about week 35/36 with the other job. When would MA start?
Thank you.
Editor: It would depend on which job you claim MA on – you can only claim one lot of MA so it would make sense to choose the one with the highest earnings. MA is £136.78 a week or 90% of salary, whichever is lower.
Anonymous says:
Hi, I'm concerned about the lower rate SMP as will be a significant drop in monthly income. Is there any way I can supplement this to maintain my lifestyle and that of a new person!! I don't receive benefits. I'm weighing up going back to work very early with having a young baby and obviously childcare. Have partner. Is there anything else I can do? Any advice much appreciated.
Editor: You can check any benefits or grant entitlement via turn2us.org.uk. Also, you can work on a self employed basis without losing SMP.
Anonymous says:
HI CAN YOU HELP: I AM PLANNING IN GETTING SMP FROM 11 WEEKS BEFORE BIRTH, WAS WONDERING IF I CAN STILL CARRY ON WORKING TILL THE BIRTH AT MY JOB AND GET PAID FOR IT WITHOUT MY SMP BEING EFFECTED?
Editor: I'm afraid you cannot work and receive SMP from the same job.
Anonymous says:
hi can you help I have 2 jobs: in my 1st job I get £100 weekly and in my 2nd job more then £109 weekly. Am I entitled to claim from my 1st job MA and from my 2nd job SMP?
Editor: I'm afraid you can't claim both MA and SMP together so your best bet would be to claim SMP on the job where you get most pay – see http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/specialist-guides/technical-guidance/ni17a-a-guide-to-maternity/maternity-allowance-ma/
Anonymous says:
If I have two jobs, job A is a full time role where I am eligible for smp but do not plan to return to after my maternity leave and job B is a part time role where I have been employed since before the 15th week before childbirth but I am not eligible for smp. Can I continue to work at job B and increase my hours without it affecting my smp from job A?
Editor: Yes, you can.
anon says:
Would you be able to return to job B whilst delaying return to job A (where both are eligible for SMP) AND increase hours at job B until returning to job A?
Mandy Garner says:
You can start and stop your maternity leave at different times for the different jobs if you qualify for SMP in both. With regard to increasing your hours in job B you should check your contract to see what it might say about second jobs.
Anonymous says:
No employed by agency but have no fixed contract. I have to sign contract for the two days I do. (I have only done this once before)
Editor: Our HR expert Sandra Beale says she thinks it would put your SMP at risk to do this work if it is on an employed basis.
Anonymous says:
No employed by agency but have no fixed contract. I have to sign contract for the two days I do. (I have only done this once before).
Editor: Our HR expert Tara Daynes says she would think that with the agency work you are not an employee but a hired worker, & the contract is 'for services' rather than 'of service'. Generally, after the birth someone can't continue to get SMP from an old employer once they start working for a new employer, but her view would be that the agency isn't a new employer (if they are hiring you and not employing you) & the school isn't an old employer if you are still employed by them. She suggests the best thing to do is to check your employment status with the agency – if they are not liable to pay your Class 1 NI contributions then you should be OK.
Anonymous says:
As a teacher I am currently on maternity leave (7 weeks) from my school and sometimes get contracted by an agency to do a few day of preparing a school for OFSTED. This agency did approach me previously in July (which was 15 weeks before my due date), but I could not do it then. My school is paying SMP. Can I do a few days contracted work while still being paid SMP.
Editor: Are you doing this on a self-employed basis?
Anonymous says:
Hello, I am looking for some guidance with maternity pay, I currently work 2 jobs, one 35 hours per week & one 22 hours per week, am I entitled to SMP for both jobs separately? I am 24 weeks pregnant & have been given my MATB1 form from my midwife, but I'm not sure what to do next or when I can take start my maternity leave in the part time job?
I earn more than £109 per week in the second job but I am scared to reduce my hours as I'm not sure whether that would mean no maternity pay if I fell under £109 per week.
I would appriciate any assistance.
Editor: To qualify for SMP you must be earning an average of at least £109 a week in the eight weeks leading up to the 26 weeks of your pregnancy. You must have also been employed from just before you got pregnant until at least the 26th week of your pregnancy. You can qualify for SMP from both jobs separately if you meet these criteria for both jobs. Normally the earliest maternity leave can start is 11 weeks before your due date, but there are exceptions – see https://www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/leave
Anonymous says:
hi i currently work for 16hrs a week 6hrs a wk at a school at dinner times and 10 hrs a wk at another job ive worked at both jobs for 3yrs am i entitled to maternity pay .
Editor: It depends on your average weekly earnings for each job. If you earn less than £109 a week in any of the jobs in the qualifying period [based on average weekly earnings in the eight weeks up to your 26th week of pregnancy], you will not qualify for SMP, but you should get Maternity Allowance. You can only get MA once and not for both jobs. See https://www.gov.uk/maternity-allowance/eligibility.
Anonymous says:
Hi, i currently work 2 part time jobs, waitressing for 15 hours and week and in a tearooms for 15 hours a week. i am currently 27 weeks pregnant, i have given both employers my maternity certificate and told them when i want to start my maternity leave. Do i qualify to get SMP from both jobs? i pay NIC for both jobs and i have a separate tax code for each job. One employer seem very unhappy with having to pay me SMP and have said to other employees that they don't see why they need to pay me SMP and want me to get it all from my other job. i feel worried about this as i dont know whether they are treating me unfairly or this is correct and they dont need to pay me SMP. Any help you can give me would be appreciated!
Editor: Yes, you can claim SMP from more than one job providing you satisfy the qualifying conditions for each job [have worked there since just before you got pregnant till past the 26th week of pregnancy and be earning at least £109 a week from each job]. You can start your maternity leave and/or SMP at different times for each job. You can also work for up to ten ‘Keeping in Touch’ days for each employer, at different times and keep your SMP from your other employer.
Anonymous says:
Hi, I work in part time posts and eligible for SMP from the employer but the income is too low and I haven't been able to maintain with this income. I would like to start working for another employer but the working hours are not the same as the part time role. So technically i am not taking maternity leave from my current employer and working for another one during those hours. I'll be working for the new employer only on the days/times when I am not contracted for my current employer so they don't think i am misusing my maternity leave. In this case, can the experts please clarify whether i'll still be eligible for the SMP from my current employer. To clarify, I have never worked for the new employer and therefore not eligible for SMP from them. Can someone please clarify.Also, who do I have to contact officially to sort this? Thanks for your time.
Editor: I am not clear what your situation is, but before the birth: you can work for a new employer and still receive SMP from your old employer before the birth. Once your baby has been born you cannot get SMP from your old employer if you start work for a new employer, unless you were employed by the new employer in the 15th week before your baby was born.
Anonymous says:
Hi, I work in part time posts and am eligible for SMP from the employer but the income is too low and I haven't been able to maintain with this income. I would like to start working for another employer, but the working hours are not the same as the part time role. So technically I am not taking maternity leave from my current employer and working for another one during those hours. I'll be working for the new employer only on the days/times when I am not contracted for my current employer so they don't think I am misusing my maternity leave. In this case, can the experts please clarify whether I'll still be eligible for the SMP from my current employer. To clarify, I have never worked for the new employer and therefore am not eligible for SMP from them. Can someone please clarify.Also, who do I have to contact officially to sort this? Thanks for your time.
Editor: I'm afraid I am not clear from what you say in what stage of pregnancy you are or if you are on maternity leave and which jobs you are doing – a part time job you can claim SMP from and another you have yet to start? You only qualify for SMP if you have been working for an employer from just before you get pregnant to at least the 26th week of your pregnancy. If you start work for a new employer after you go on maternity leave any SMP you have will stop the week you start your new role.
Anonymous says:
Can you help? I have two jobs and am on my second round of maternity leave as I had 12 months between my two babies. In my first round of maternity leave I met the conditions for smp from both employers and as such was paid smp by both employers. However, for my second period for maternity leave, as I only returned to one employer, iI only made the minimum earning requirement for that job. For the other job I was on unpaid maternity leave for the qualiifing period for the earnings requirement and as such wiould meet the criteria for maternity allowance. However, I have been advised by the job centre that you can not be entitled to smp and ma at the same time. Is this advice correct.
Editor: They are correct. You cannot claim MA and SMP at the same time.
Anonymous says:
Can you help, I have two jobs and am on my second round of maternity leave as I had 12 months between my two babies. In my first round of maternity leave I met the conditions for smp from both employers and as such was paid smp by both employers. However, for my second period of maternity leave, as I only returned to one employer, I only made the minimum earning requirement for that job. For the other job I was on unpaid maternity leave for the qualiifing period for the earnings requirement and as such would meet the criteria for maternity allowance. However I have been advised by the job centre that you can not be entitled to smp and ma at the same time. Is this advice correct. Many thanks for your help.
Editor: Yes, that is correct. You cannot claim MA and SMP at the same time.
Anonymous says:
Can you help, I have two jobs and am on my second round of maternity leave as I had 12 months between my two babies. In my first round of maternity leave I met the conditions for smp from both employers and as such was paid smp by both employers. However for my second period for maternity leave, as I only returned to one employer, iI only made the minimum earning requirement for that job. For the other job I was on unpaid maternity leave for the qualiifing period for the earnings requirement and as such wiould meet the criteria for maternity allowance. However I have been advised by the job centre that you can not be entitled to smp and ma at the same time. Is this advice correct. Many thanks for your help.
Editor: Yes, this is correct. You cannot claim MA and SMP at the same time.
Anonymous says:
Can you help? I have two jobs and am on my second round of maternity leave as I had 12 months between my two babies. In my first round of maternity leave I met the conditions for SMP from both employers and as such was paid SMP by both employers. However, for my second period of maternity leave, as I only returned to one employer, I only made the minimum earning requirement for that job. For the other job I was on unpaid maternity leave for the qualifying period for the earnings requirement and as such wiould meet the criteria for maternity allowance. However, I have been advised by the job centre that you can not be entitled to SMP and MA at the same time. Is this advice correct.
Editor: Yes, this advice is correct. You cannot claim MA and SMP at the same time.
Anonymous says:
I have 2 jobs – one for 25h; the other for 16h per week. Can I leave my jobs at different times and not lose my maternity pay? And can I get SMP on both jobs?
Editor: Are your jobs for different employers and do you pay NI separately? If so, you can also claim SMP on both. To be eligible you need to earn an average of over £109 a week in the eight weeks up to the 26th week of your pregnancy and to have been employed by both from just before you got pregnant. You can start your maternity leave at different times for each job.
Anonymous says:
Can you help – if I reduce my hours in work will I still be entitled to full maternity pay?
Editor: If you still meet the eligibility for SMP – you have to earn over £109 a week – and to have worked for your employer from just before you got pregnant, you will qualify. Your SMP is based on your average weekly earnings in the eight weeks before your 26th week of pregnancy so if you reduce your hours then the payments you get in the first six weeks of maternity leave will be reduced. SMP is six weeks at 90% of your pay and then £136.78 for the remaining 33 weeks.
Anonymous says:
I am currently on maternity leave and claiming SMP from one of my employers. Before I was pregnant and during my pregnancy I worked for 3 employed companies and also self employed. I was not eligible to get SMP from two of the employers due to me only working a couple of hours a week. But the third employer I was eligible. I am now looking at my options of going back to work. I am looking to go back to work self employed and to my two jobs I am not claiming SMP from first as they are less working hours and more flexible. Can I go back to work self employed and to my other employers not paying SMP and still claim my SMP benefits from the third job? Also with regard to KIT days: do I just get 10 days to use for the third job paying me SMP or can I use them for all my jobs or do I get 10 separate days for each job and self employed?
Editor: You can work for the two jobs without SMP being affected if you worked for them from the 26th week of your pregnancy onwards. You can also do your self employed work. The KIT days only apply to the employer you are claiming SMP from.
Anonymous says:
I have a full time job that i earn 22k per year and a part time job were i earn £145.10 a week I only pay NI on my first job and after the baby is born i would like to return to my part time roll asap as I will need the extra money and it can be done anytime. Could I claim SMP from my main job and return to my part time one without the SMP being affected?
Anonymous says:
I have 2 jobs – at one I work 32 hours a week and the other I work 8 hours a week.The job I work 8 hours for I know I will entitled to SMP, but as it’s only 8 hours it wouldn’t be enough to live on, the other job where I do 32 hours I reckon my boss will be awkward and not pay my SMP so would I be able to claim the Maternity allowance as well as my SMP from my other job or can you only have one?
Editor: If you are entitled to SMP on both jobs you can claim on both and it is not up to your boss whether you get it or not if you satisfy the eligibility criteria. See https://www.gov.uk/statutory-maternity-pay/overview. You cannot claim MA and SMP at the same time.
Anonymous says:
Can anyone help – my friend works 3 jobs and with all 3 jobs she works 37 hours a week. She can only get maternity pay for one of her jobs. Her monthly amount is under a 3rd of what she was taking home when working. She was living ok with the money she was on. Now with another mouth to feed she is finding it hard because everywhere she goes they just say they can’t help. Just trying to get as much info for her because she is finding it hard enough with a new baby without worrying about paying bills and feeding her new baby.
Editor: Could you contact us via the Advice & Support/Q & A page box as we may need more details – eg how far into her maternity leave is she – and we will then have your email so our experts can advise you directly. In the meantime, you could try this charity which may be able to help.
Anonymous says:
Hi, would I be able to apply and return to a new job for 8 hours a week. Can I still receive SMP that is paid weekly at the moment? Many thanks for your feedback.
Editor’s note: The following response should help you -https://www.workingmums.co.uk/advice-and-support/q-and-a/all/3159026/starting-a-new-job-during-maternity-leave-ask-the-expert.thtml
Anonymous says:
I have 2 part time jobs – one is 12 hours per week and the other is 13.5. Which one will pay my maternity pay or will I have to claim it from the job centre?
Editor’s note: see http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/moneytaxandbenefits/benefitstaxcreditsandothersupport/expectingorbringingupchildren/dg_10018741
Anonymous says:
I have a full-time job for which i do 37 hours and will receive 90% (reduced gradually over 6 months) of my wages on top of my stat maternity pay. I am entilted to stat maternity pay on my second job which I work on average 12 hours a week - however, this can vary. Also, would I be able to return to my shorter hours job before my maternity leave ends on my permanent role?
Editor: Questions for our experts should be sent via the Advice and Support pages box so we have a means of contacting you if they require further information to give you the best possible advice.
Anonymous says:
I have a full time job and I also do visiting lecturing at a University for which I get a contract for 85 hours Nov-March. Will I lose my stat mat pay at my full time job if I want to do the Lecturing?
Editor’s note: Can you send requests for expert advice via the box on the Advice & Support page please. They will need more information to help you and if you are not logged in we cannot get back to you. For instance, are you on maternity leave now and were you doing the lecturing job before you went on maternity leave and if so, how long before?
Anonymous says:
Hi there, I have two jobs – one where I am employed for 32 hours a week and have received a letter stating my SMP and what I will get while I am on maternity leave.
In my second job I am employed for 13.5 hours a week. I have been in this job for 3 years and cut my hours down from 18 hours to 13.5 hours in January this year.
Now my boss in my second job (13.5 hours) told me she did not think I will get SMP through her as I do more hours at my first job.
I was just wondering how this works as since cutting my hours in January I no longer pay N.I.C on my wages but after tax I get £475.00 for the month and it does state in my contract that I am entitled to SMP.
I am just finding this all a little confussing and was just wondering if anyone could help me on this situation.
Also on the second job I do (13.5 hours) I think there may be some redundancies and have a feeling I may be in there. I was just wondering what my rights are and if I am entitled to SMP if I will still qualify for it if this does happen. At the moment I am 15 weeks pregnant and due in November.
I am just getting worried over it all as I know that if this does happen then I will struggle to get work due to my pregnancy.
Well, thank you for your help and time.
Editor’s note: With regard to redundancy, if you qualify for SMP you should still get it if you are made redundant if that is after the 15th week before your due date. With regard to second jobs, see https://www.workingmums.co.uk/advice-and-support/all/page_3/1354201/can-i-claim-smp-from-my-second-job-ask-the-expert.thtml. If you have any further questions, please email our experts via the Advice &Support page on our website.
Anonymous says:
Hi, I have two jobs. One where I am employed for 37.5 hours for a healthcare company and another that is a nursing agency – as and when I can fit in shifts. I am entitled to 6 weeks at 90% and then SMP for the healthcare company, and the other I am not sure yet. I have been working for them for 4 years so I am sure I will be entitled to some. I gather from the above, I am entitled to claiming SMP on both jobs.
Another question, I wanted to return back to work with my second job at weekends, so that my husband could look after our baby at the weekends while at home and I will look after her during the week days. I wanted to stay on maternity leave with my first job until the 9th month, and work for my second job during this time as it is more flexible (childcare will be easier). I have been told that this is not possible, as as soon as I return back to any work, whether it be with my first or second job i will loose all maternity rights. They are saying if I return with the agency, then I am effectively returning back to work, and would need to commence work for them ‘the healthcare company’. Is this right? is there any way around this legally?
Many thanks.
Editor: This should help. If you need more information, please log in and send a question through our Advice & Support section.
Anonymous says:
I have two jobs in which i work for one family as a nanny for 3 days a week (32 hours a week). I also work for a nursery for 1 1/2 days (13.5 hours a week). I was just wondering how my SMP will work with both jobs. I know that both jobs offer the SMP. It is just today my boss where I do 13.5 hours a week said that she will look into my SMP as she believes that the people i work for more will pay it. I don’t feel this is fair or correct so i wonder if someone can give me some advice. Also how will my A/L work out during the period I am off on SMP. Will I be able if ok with employer to add it on to the end of my maternity leave?
Thank you for your help.
Editor: SMP entitlement is treated completely separately under each contract when earnings are not added together to work out National Insurance Contributions. However, you would need to qualify for SMP under each contract ie you would need to meet the earnings threshold for both roles. Check here for more details. On annual leave, this depends on what your contract says about annual leave, when you are planning to return and whether your employer carries annual leave over from one year to another.