in October 2024 Babies 🇬🇧

Maximise maternity pay (especially if you’re a teacher!)

Evening everyone, I just wanted to point everyone in the direction of Nugget Savings on in instagram. They show you how to maximise maternity and paternity. They are so knowledgeable. They also advise on child care hours and tax free info. I’m a teacher and attended their shared parental leave (SPL) webinar last night. If you didn’t know, as a teacher you can claim up to 11 weeks extra full pay during your year off for maternity. It’s complicated and difficult to apply for but not impossible and you can earn a lot more money in your year of maternity (e.g. M5= £6,600 extra pay during your years leave). You’d be silly not to take advantage of it as a teacher. The webinar was £15 and really helped me to get my head around it all. Anyway teacher or not, I would follow Nugget Savings if you don’t already 🤗

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There's a website, for teachers that will help you with the spl forms etc. https://www.teachersspl.co.uk/ I think it's £65, you send your school's policies and the dates of your intended maternity and they complete the forms. They're also on hand if your school argue it

Yes that’s with the lady Kinza and she was amazing too! Such a reasonable price for a great service

I’m getting a whole months extra pay from doing shared parental leave!:)

would this work as an HLTA in a school?

Very helpful thank you. I was reading up about the law last night but I am confused re something. Anybody could advise if I am entitled to annual leave during maternity (or when it finishes) if I inform my employer I am not coming back after the maternity? It is unclear online. Right to SMP applies always unless I would quit more than 15 weeks before baby is due. But I am not quitting now. I plan to work until and start maternity a month before my DD.

@Layla From what I understood from the webinar it is possible but dependent on your type of contract. If your contract isn’t just term time and includes the holidays, I think you have access to it too. Have a look at your contract and use this website to contact Kinza: https://www.teachersspl.co.uk/contact There’s a enquiry section for you to ask and it is most definitely worth asking! Good luck xx

@Gabi I am not entirely sure on this one. Definitely worth getting in touch with Nugget Savings - https://linktr.ee/nuggetsavings?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=4595c922-be57-4cb2-902b-0d6545118428

Does this only work for teachers ?

So my understanding is that because teachers can’t accrue holiday and get paid for it like in other jobs but they can use shared parental leave due to return to work during the school holidays and get paid and then return to maternity when term time starts again without their partner needing to take paternity or have care in place for the children. In other jobs you can accrue holiday while on maternity and get paid for it. I don’t know that shared parental leave would benefit other professions in the same way, unless you’d actually be returning to work and your partner or someone else would be taking over care of your child. Teachers who return to work during the holidays do not need care of their children because they cannot be given directed work during this time and therefore can remain at home with their children. It’s so complicated but hopefully that makes sense!