Maternity Pay Advice For A Friend........

[trt]

If, after being paid maternity pay, and you then decide not to go back to work after the baby is born, do you have to pay the money back to your employer?

[2sp_]

If you go back to work for 3 months after the baby is born (and your maternity leave is over) you will not have to repay the maternity pay.

But if you decide to hand in your notice before that you will have to pay it all back.

Lots of women go back for 3 months knowing that they are actually going to leave after that.

[black_cat51]

i'm not sure that's entirely accurate. SMP is payable anyway (for people who are in work in the qualifying weeks) and as a state benefit does not have to be repaid. However, any occupationa benefit over and above SMP will have to be paid back

[2sp_]

Sorry, I was just talking about pay that your Employer may issue on top of SMP. I should have been more clear.

[trt]

## However, any occupational benefit over and above SMP will have to be paid back ##

Even after 3 months back at work blackcat?

[black_cat51]

it depends on they employer's scheme (for example my job required you to go back for three months if you didn't want to forfeit the occupational Mat pay, but my friend who works somewhere else, has to now go back for a year, lest she forfeit the OMP

[2sp_]

I'm not sure, but I think the 3 months is pretty standard.