Ok - complicated but thanks to one of the other mums on here I have discovered that we are basically entitled to free money once we move onto only SMP or onto unpaid additional maternity leave.
So .... if you have a child who is in any form of childcare and you claim childcare vouchers from your employer in order to pay for the childcare your employer HAS to continue to honour your voucher payments throuhgout your maternity leave BUT this cannot be deducted from SMP payments so once your maternity pay reduces to SMP or LESS you employer still HAS to give you ??243 a month FOR FREE. I KNOW IT SEEMS UNBELIEVABLE BUT IT'S TRUE!
This is confirmed in the HMRC guidance entitled 'Statutory Maternity Leave - Salary Sacrifice and non-cash benefits' specifically on page 15 of
26 in the sections subheaded contractual non-cash benefits and salary sacrifice. Here is a link to the document if required:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/employers/sml-salary-sacrifice.pdfI just want to make this clear to as MANY people as poss as it is our entitlement!!! But If the conservatives get in they may cancel our rights to childcare vouchers and therefore to this free money!
I REALLY hope this helps someone else out as much as it will us!!!!!
