Maternity Benefit paid to me or Employer - which is best??

Hi all, I am really confused here Re: tax and maternity benefit - should i keep the maternity benefit cheque and let employer top up my salary to bring me up to my full monthly salary or should I give employer the cheque and let them pay me in full as normal - HELP ME !!!!!!! I thought i read somewhere that i could claim tax back if i gave employer the cheque directly or does it make any odds ?? Last time i was out on maternity leave 2008, i kept the cheque and work topped me up - I was no better off or worse off each month.....

If you get it yourself you'll notice you come out slightly better off each month. If you get it paid to your employer, you get the same each month as before your maternity leave, but then you can claim back a lump sum of tax at the end of the year. Either way you'll end up with the same ammount of money.