maternity benefit

i'm employed by the HSE so get paid while on maternity leave (i think????) - what about the social welfare Maternity benefit? am i still entitiled to that or is it means tested? Or is that what i get to live on during my maternity leave feel so thick not knowing the answers to these questions but i would appreciate any help

You'll have to sign a form stating that your maternity benifit should be paid to your employer, and then they'll top up the rest to your usual salary!

Depends on your employer, but mine for ex deduct what I get from the social welfare (280 per week) from my full wage. But afaik they're not obliged to do this so every employer's different. You should be able to check your company's maternity policy. hth

i know that the HSE do pay full mat leave - you will be approved for the max, 280e and when filling up the form tick the bit to have it paid to your employer and they will receive the mat benefit cheque and you continue to get your full wages dont forget that you build up holidays on mat leave to so at the end of 26 weeks maternity leave you will have about 2/3 weeks hols to add onto the end as well that has been accumulating all the while - and public hols too!!

Yeah, I did mine in a hurry and put paid to me instead of employer, now my employer will have to deduct and seems it will cause more headache than anything else. I'm going to see if I can still get this changed, I should have time still.

gingernut sorry for hijacking your post charli, can i just ask you something. i work in the HSE, my baby is due jan 2008. my annual leave year runs from march to april or april to april, if you know what i mean. so while im on maternity leave for 26 weeks that will bring me up until mid july....i will have clocked up holidays???, but then if i used these to extend my maternity leave, then i wouldnt have much til the following april? do you get me? have i understood you correctly. im new to al this...this is my first pregnancy!!

hiya, my baby also due in Jan 08 and hols are the same as yours so ill use myself as example when i go off in Jan 08 ill have say maybe 5-10 days left (i have been told i can carry this to end of my mat leave, only in special circumstances, they do not normally allow carry over) then they will calculate pro-rata what i build up between April-July, when i would be due back - say another week and take them at the end, bringing me up to sometime in August - then you can take unpaid leave then if you want, though you dont get paid or build up hols then then when you return in August, your hols will start building up again - you get me? you wont be allowed take your whole holiday entitlement in July - just what has accumulated over those few months hope that makes sense

oh i get you now! thanks charli. when do you think you'll go back to work (i know its early stages but everthing is buzzing around in my head!)....i'd love to take a year off. 26 weeks paid leave and then the rest unpaid, but will have to take a BIG look at the finances thanks aagin

hiya well under law you can take 26 weeks mat leave paid and 16 weeks unpaid - after that you would have to apply for special unpaid leave from employer or career break which may not be granted, though most will - depends how busy your place is i have a 3 1/2 year old, who will be starting school in Sept 08 so if i could bring my annual leave up to mid-Aug by my calculations and perhaps take a month unpaid to get her settled in school and new baby in creche hoping then to go back mid-sept, on first pregnancy was only off for 5 months in total cos entitlement then in 2003 was 18 weeks + i took unpaid leave. so feel this time around is nice and long yeah a year would be lovely but i think i will need to be back (im the big earner in our house )

thanks charli yeah it is a great entitlement. i just calculated 26 plus 16 weeks and tha'd mean that i would be off til nove 2008. i havent even included annual leave either as im not a hundred percent sure of exactly how many days i'be be due thanks for all your help bridejune206