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Maternity Pay

 

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is paid by SmartWork to eligible employees who meet the statutory qualifying conditions.

You may take up to 52 weeks of statutory maternity leave. If you qualify, SMP can be paid for up to 39 weeks, so your SMP may end before your maternity leave ends.

Eligibility

You may qualify if:

  • You are employed by SmartWork under a contract of employment, are treated as an employee for PAYE purposes and are on our payroll in the qualifying week.
  • You have been continuously employed by SmartWork for at least 26 weeks up to and including the qualifying week, which is the 15th week before your expected week of childbirth.
  • Your average weekly earnings are at least the applicable Lower Earnings Limit for National Insurance purposes during the eight-week period used to calculate SMP.
  • You have given the required notice of your maternity leave and SMP start date.
  • You have provided the required evidence of pregnancy.

What information do I need to provide?

Please tell SmartWork:

  • That you are pregnant.
  • Your expected week of childbirth.
  • The date you want maternity leave and SMP to start.

Tell us at least 15 weeks before the week your baby is due, where reasonably practicable. You should also give at least 28 days’ notice of your chosen SMP start date. If this is not reasonably practicable, notify us as soon as you reasonably can.

Within 28 days of receiving your intended maternity-leave start date, we will write to confirm your expected maternity-leave end date.

Proof of pregnancy

Provide either:

  • A MATB1 certificate issued by your doctor or midwife; or
  • A letter from your doctor or midwife confirming your pregnancy and expected week of childbirth.

You should normally provide this within 21 days of your SMP start date. A MATB1 is accepted as proof of pregnancy for SMP purposes and is usually issued around 20 weeks before the week your baby is due. You can tell us about your pregnancy before receiving it and send it once available.

After your baby is born

Please notify SmartWork of your baby’s actual date of birth as soon as reasonably practicable. To help us maintain accurate payroll and leave records, please provide this information within 28 days of the birth, where reasonably practicable.

Email the Payroll Team with:

  • Your full name.
  • Your baby’s date of birth.
  • Details of any changes to your maternity leave arrangements.

A delay in notifying us may delay administration of SMP or leave records, but it will not automatically affect your entitlement to SMP or maternity leave. We will consider the circumstances if you have not been able to contact us sooner.

If your baby is born before your planned leave start date, your maternity leave and SMP will normally start on the day after the birth. Notify us as soon as reasonably practicable. If needed to verify the date of birth for payroll purposes, we may ask for a birth certificate or a document from your doctor or midwife confirming the date.

If your baby is born very early or seriously ill, is stillborn after the start of the 24th week of pregnancy, or dies after birth, do not worry about the timescales above. Your entitlement to leave and SMP continues where the statutory conditions are met. A partner or family member can contact us on your behalf, and we will consider your circumstances.

If you do not qualify for SMP

If you do not qualify for SMP, SmartWork will provide an SMP1 form explaining the reason, normally within seven days of our decision. You may be able to claim Maternity Allowance instead. Your right to take maternity leave is not affected.

For more information regarding Maternity Leave and SMP, please visit the HMRC website at https://www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/overview.

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