Maternity Leave Pay and not going back to work

Hi Girls, Havnt posted in a while and getting close to my due date (4th Dec). Would any of you know if you are entitled to maternity leave pay and then when you are on maternity leave decide that you will not be going back to work when your time is up. If this is the case, do you have to give back your maternity leave pay that your company paid you (obviously keeping your state benefits). Its something I hadnt thought of but my sister reckons you cant claim from your work if you dont plan on going back. Does anyone know if this is correct?

It would depend on your workplace. YOo would need to check it out - maybe there's something in your contract.

I havent decided whether i will be going back or not but am going about the maternity issue as if I am going back. Our company dont require money to be paid back but, It does say in our company handbook that you can not hand in your notice while on maternity leave. When I am due to go back to work next september i will have 20 days holidays, so technically that could be my notice I think? But am going to play it by ear and see how i feel after baby arrives, might be dying to get back! Every company is different though so check your company handbook. Other companies do make you pay back the maternity pay even if you finish within 6 months of returning.

I think different companies have different rules but I know my company requires you to confirm that you will return to get your maternity pay. They say that if you state you will return but don't, you maybe required to refund the cash and you actually sign up to this when you sign up to how you want your maternity pay split over the 9 months off.

Each company has different policy's, it's hard to find out without making them suspicious about what you intend to do. You could go back to work for three weeks or a month and then say it's just not working out for you. If you leave on extended sick leave first then give your notice they can't say anything to you, and they can't ask for the money back.

As far as i am aware if you are getting maternity leave from you job and do not go back to them when maternity leave is over you owe them back the money