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- During your pregnancy
- Maternity leave
- Returning to work
- Glossary of University maternity terms
- Adoption leave
- Ordinary Paternity/maternity support leave
- Additional Paternity/maternity support leave
- Requesting a change to your working pattern
- Parental leave
- Emergency leave
- Childcare vouchers
- Childcare facilities
- Forms
Leave and pay
Leave
Additional Paternity/Maternity Support Leave can be taken for a minimum of two weeks and a maximum of 26 weeks.
The leave must be taken in a continuous period. However, it can not start before 20 weeks from the date of birth or adoption.
Additional Paternity/Maternity Support Leave can only start once the partner taking Maternity Leave or Adoption Leave has returned to work and they have stopping receiving Statutory Maternity Pay/Maternity Allowance or Statutory Adoption Pay. If the mother takes annual leave, is sick at the end of her maternity leave or takes parental leave which directly follows maternity or adoption leave then this does not count as a return to work.
To qualify for paid Additional Paternity/Maternity Support Leave you must inform your HR Business Partner in writing, using form PD72, with a copy to your College Dean, by the 8th week before you wish the leave to commence.
If you change your mind about taking Additional Paternity/Maternity Support Leave or what to change the date of your leave, then you need to let your HR Business Partner know at least six weeks before the original start date or the new start date, whichever is earlier.
Additional Paternity/Maternity Support Leave must be completed by the child’s first birthday or, in the case of adoption, 52 weeks after the child starts living with the adopter.
Pay
During Additional Paternity/Maternity Support Leave you will NOT receive your normal pay but you may be eligible for Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (ASPP). Additional Statutory Paternity Pay is payable at the same rate as Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay.
Additional Statutory Paternity pay is only payable for the period that your partner would have been receiving Statutory Maternity Pay, Maternity Allowance or Statutory Adoption Pay had they not returned to work. Since SMP/MA/SAP are paid for a maximum of 39 weeks, if the mother returns to work and stops receiving SMP/MA/SAP before 39 weeks, in effect the ‘balance’ is transferred to the father (however, this is on a consecutive basis so if there is a break between the mother returning to work and the father starting ASPP then this will reduce the number of weeks that the father will receive ASPP) This also means that the leave period may be greater than the pay period.
If your average weekly wage is below the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) you do not qualify for SPP. You may be able to get Income Support while on paternity/maternity support leave and further information is available from your local Jobcentre Plus office or Social Security office.
