Paternity Pay & Leave 2013 / 2014

New Dads (or the partners of new mothers) are entitled to 2 weeks Ordinary Paternity Leave when the baby is born and may be entitled to Ordinary Paternity Pay while they are away from work.

To qualify for Ordinary Paternity Leave, he must have been with his employer for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before the baby is due.

He must also be either the:

• Biological Father

or

• Mother's husband or partner (including same-sex relationships)

He needs to let his employer know he wants to take paternity leave by the
fifteenth week before the baby is due.
A Self Certificate (form SC3) to pass to his employer can be printed off from the HMRC website:  

www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/sc3.pdf


Ordinary Paternity Leave should either be taken as 1 week or 2 consecutive weeks. It can not be split.

Paternity leave can not start until the baby is born and must be taken within 56 days of the baby being born.

 
Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay (OSPP)
If the father/partner qualifies for Ordinary Paternity Leave, and earns more than £107 a week, he qualifies for Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay (OSPP) too.
This is paid at £136.78 per week or 90% of his average weekly earnings if they are less than this.

Your Employer may offer additional Paternity benefits so check your contract and speak to your HR department.



Additional Paternity Leave & Pay
Since April 2011, fathers/partners also have the right to up to 26 weeks' Additional Paternity Leave if the child's mother has returned to work before the end of her Statutory Maternity Pay period. This is in addition to the 2 weeks Ordinary Paternity Leave they are entitled to.
He may also receive Additional Statutory Paternity Pay if the child's mother has returned to work before the end of her maternity pay period.
Additional Paternity Leave can be taken from 20 weeks after the child is born.
It must finish before the child's first birthday.
Additional Statutory Paternity Pay is paid at the same weekly rate as the OSPP and can be paid for a maximum of 19 weeks (to complete the Statutory Maternity Pay period of 39 weeks for the mother).  For more info see: www.gov.uk/employers-additional-paternity-pay-leave

Self Employed New Dads

Unfortunately, there is no paternity pay equivalent for self employed dads (which is rather unfair
I think!).

For more information visit:

www.gov.uk/paternity-pay-leave

Great websites for dads-to-be and new dads are:

www.dad.info

www.daddynatal.co.uk

Benefits and Entitlements for Expectant and New Parents

Having a baby is expensive – there’s no getting around that!  Thankfully there is help available to expectant and new parents. 

Here’s a quick guide. 

Sure Start Maternity Grant

A grant of £500 is available to parents-to-be on low incomes to help with preparing all those baby essentials.  To see if you qualify for the grant, please visit:   http://bit.ly/8nHu7E

Healthy Start Scheme

Healthy Start is a government scheme that provides vouchers for free milk, fresh fruit and vegetables, infant formula and vitamins to certain pregnant women and children in families on low incomes.  Visit: www.healthystart.nhs.uk/ to find out if you are eligible.

You can get an application form from your midwife or health visitor or complete it online.

Lots of shops except the vouchers – look out for the Healthy Start sticker or ask in store.

Free prescriptions and dental care

All mums-to-be qualify for a prescription exemption certificate once their pregnancy has been certified by a doctor or midwife.  You need to complete form FW8 and they will need to sign it.  You’ll be sent a handy little credit card type certificate that you can keep in your wallet. 

Just remember to mention it at the chemist or dentist when you visit!

It entitles you to free prescritions and dental care so get one as soon as possible.  They last until a year after the day your baby is expected.  For more info visit: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/1644.aspx

 

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)

To help you take time off work with your baby, you may be entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) which is a payment from the government and is paid to you via your employer. 

(You may also be lucky enough to have this enhanced by an employer’s maternity scheme).

For more details on SMP and to find out if you qualify please visit the Pennies 4 Parents Blog:

www.pennies4parents.blogspot.com/2011/06/statutory-maternity-pay-smp-20112012.html

Maternity Allowance

Mums-to-be who do not qualify for SMP may still be entitled to Maternity Allowance.

This is also paid by the Government but direct to your bank account for 39 weeks.

For more information please visit:

www.pennies4parents.blogspot.com/2011/06/help-i-dont-qualify-for-statutory.html

Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP)

Most working Fathers are entitled to Statutory Paternity Pay for 2 weeks after the birth of their baby.

The current rate is £128.73 per week.

New Dads are now also eligible to take Additional Paternity Leave and Pay if the Mother returns to work before the end of her Statutory 39 weeks of Maternity Pay.

For more information on Paternity Pay please see:

  www.pennies4parents.blogspot.com/2011/06/paternity-pay-and-leave.html

Tax Credits

Tax Credits are payments from the Government.  Your entitlement depends on your household income. Visit: www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/index.htm to see if you qualify – you may be pleasantly surprised!

More information can be found here too:

www.pennies4parents.blogspot.com/2011/07/quick-guide-to-tax-credits.html

Child Benefit

You normally qualify for Child Benefit if you have children under 16 (or under 20 if in certain types of education or training), but you do have to apply for it.

You should receive an application in the useful Bounty Pack you are given in hospital when your baby is born (or your midwife will pass you one). 

You can also print off a form here: www.hmrc.gov.uk/forms/ch2-online-stubb.htm

The current weekly rates for Child Benefit are: £20.30 for your first/oldest child and £13.40 for other children.