I know there are numerous posts on here already about this topic but wondered if anyone could help me out with gaining a better idea of how the maternity leave is really likely to work if me and my other half do go ahead and start trying for a baby.
EPSRC does not seem to be as generous with its maternity package as some other RCs – offering to meet the Statutory Maternity Pay deal only (i.e. 90% pay for 6 weeks & £123.60 for the next 33). However, my partner & I feel we can get by on this. Obviously if we were to delay having a baby until after PhD is finished I would still be entitled to a similar package even if we started trying more or less as soon as I get employed & didn’t wait for any extra employer-related allowance schemes to some into operation, however I am really keen to start trying ASAP as although I am not that old yet (26), I already have a 7 year old son and don’t want too enormous an age gap between them. Also, my partner will be 40 this year and although I know men can carry on having children much later in life than women I still like the idea of us being able to finish up our child-rearing and have some time together to do things as a couple before we’re too old and infirm. Although really a year or 2 difference between having a baby in 2011 or waiting till 2012 or 2013 won’t have that much impact on plans for old age, we would also like to have a second child a couple of years after the next one and when you look at things like that time seems to be constantly ticking away (well it does to me anyway).
The thing is that we are getting married this summer and so unless I want to waddle down the aisle will have to wait a bit to start trying. This means that we have scheduled in a cut off point where we will have to put off trying if I am not already pregnant as baby would then be due after my PhD is due to finish (funding ends Sept 2011) and so I wouldn’t be a student anymore or entitled to any maternity benefits associated with my research council. However , my real enquiry was whether anyone knew if there was a date after which maternity benefits would not be available e.g. if I were to be due in August when my contact finishes 1st September would I still be entitled?


Many Thanks
Gemz

hi, i can't help an awful lot with this as i don't know what research councils offer in terms of maternity benefits. But, regarding your last point about having a cut off point as you wouldn't be a student and so not entitled to maternity benefits from your research council; I am almost certain that you are entitled to the same statuatory pay from the government if you are a student/employed/unemployed; so you would get £123.60 (for 9 months is it now?). The only thing you would miss out on is the 90% for 6 weeks.

I was advised once by a friend, that if you wait until you think you can afford babies you will never have them. We followed that advice and muddled through and didn't regret it.

Good luck whatever you do

Hi Gemnjam,
I'm in a similar situation. Does anyone whether research assitants working on a fixed (three year) contract are entitled to maternity pay? Also, the project is set to finish in dead on three years with publications etc to be ready by the deadline, if I take maternity leave it will presumably delay the project, does anyone know what would happen in this situation?

Spandangle,

Statutory Maternity Pay provides the same allowance i.e. 90% for 6 weeks and then £123.60 only as long as you have been working for an employer for at least 26 weeks before the 15th week before baby is due (basically a total of 41 weeks needed i.e. the entire pregnancy). So I wouldn't get that unless we put off trying for a baby until after I've found a job.

Maternity Allowance allows just the £123.600/wk for a fixed period but here also you need to be working for one or more employers for 26 weeks during the 67 weeks before due date but as PhD is not classed as working for an employer that would need at least 6 months in work afterwards & realistically its not going to be easy to get a job once pregnant so again we'd have to wait.

Unfortunately my other half is in a good but not fantastic job and we couldn't get by with our other children (we bring up my one together & he has 2 who live with his ex who he pays maintenance for) and a new baby on just one income but could muddle through with the extra small amounts discussed above whether still in PhD or afterwards.

We're getting married in August this year & as I don't want to be obviously pregnant then we may start trying 6 weeks or so before but that gives us a very limited time in order that the baby be due still during my studies. Last time I got pregnant within a week of starting to try so I guess I'll just have to hope for that again.

Just thinking it through in my head, but RCs with PhD students like to see themselves as being akin to an employer and if I was on a fixed term contract with an employer where the terms of maternity leave were set out as being those for Statutory Maternity Pay I would expect to be paid it if my due date fell at any point inside the dates of my contract. If anyone has any experience of this though I would be especially grateful.

Cheers