If you want to find out exactly what you are entitled to, check out the ThinkBaby guide to statutory employment maternity benefits.
This week there have been major changes to government legislation regarding maternity rights. As a summary, mothers who gave birth on or after April 1st 2007 are now entitled to the following benefits:

  • 39 weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) instead of 26 weeks
  • 90% of your salary will be paid for 6 weeks then a maximum of £112.75 for the remaining 33 weeks
  • An increase in the number of days on which you can attend work without losing your SMP - this is now a total of 10 days
  • 39 weeks of Maternity Allowance (if you are not entitled to SMP) instead of 26 weeks

In addition to these changes, mothers returning to work following maternity leave will now need to give their employers 2 months' notice of their returning date.

For more information regarding these changes visit www.direct.gov.uk.