Temporary Worker

A question about : Temporary Worker

Hi There

I currently work 25 hours a week on a temporary contract with a recruitmanet agency. Hubby & I desperately want a baby but i'm a little worried as I don't know what maternity benefits I will be entitled to? I have worked for the agency since the end of November 2004. The contract i'm on at the moment was meant to be for 3 months it now looks like it will go on till at least september.

Would I be better off looking for permanent work or wouldn't it make much difference?

Thanks for any advice!

Best answers:

• Hi
  You'd be best checking all the details from somewhere like Matermity Alliance.
  I qualified for some maternity pay even though i had resigned from my part-time job in early pregnancy.This is because in the 66 weeks before baby was due i had worked for at least 26 of them earning at least Ј30 week.
  I had to submit wage slips for them to work out the amount i was due.(i can't remember how to work it out).
  I think SMP if you qualified for that instead is something like 90% of wages for 6 weeks followed by 18 weeks at around Ј100, but i'm not sure of the criteria to qualify.
• Try these for advice about maternity rights:
  https://www.maternityalliance.org.uk/
  https://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/...r_children.htm
• To qualify for SMP you need to have been employed for 26 weeks by your employer at the 15th week before your baby is due and have earned the minimum amount to have paid NI on. Agency workers are sometimes employed on a day to day basis so therefore this is not straightforward.
  Depending on what you earn, you maybe better off receiving SMP to get the 90% of earnings (no limit) for the first 6 weeks and but otherwise you would be entitled to Maternity Allowance at Ј106.00 or 90% of your earnings whichever is lower.