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Covering Maternity leave secondary level

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  • 28-08-2014 5:19pm
    #1
    newtothis13
    Registered Users Posts: 40 ✭


    Hi there,
    Covering my first maternity leave and have been told there are some forms to fill out to give to social welfare and also that I should let them know during the holidays that I am not working (I'm aware I won't get to draw stamps due to extra holiday pay).
    Anybody with experience in this have any info please?
    Thanks


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    #2
    Pinkycharm
    Registered Users Posts: 545 ✭✭✭Pinkycharm


    yeah definitely sign for credits when you are off as in mid terms etc so that if you are unemployed come next september you can draw your stamps. Also if the maternity leave is september to february i think that the holiday pay is only considered two months payment (so you would be covered until April). a girl in my school has been on rolling maternity leaves and sick leaves for about 5 years now and claims her stamps during summer time if the maternity leave ends early in the year but I used to have to do it too.


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    #3
    newtothis13
    Registered Users Posts: 40 ✭newtothis13


    Pinkycharm wrote: »
    yeah definitely sign for credits when you are off as in mid terms etc so that if you are unemployed come next september you can draw your stamps. Also if the maternity leave is september to february i think that the holiday pay is only given as a months payment. a girl in my school has been on rolling maternity leaves and sick leaves for about 5 years now and claims her stamps during summer time if the maternity leave ends early in the year.

    Thanks for the reply, I'll do that, what do you mean the holiday pay is only given as a months payment? I am lost in all of this.


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    #4
    happywithlife
    Registered Users Posts: 1,324 ✭✭✭happywithlife


    Your hourly rate of pay should be higher as it includes holiday pay so you don't get anything during the hols - in theory of course you should be saving a bit each paycheck to tide you over. But that's nigh on impossible.
    Defintely sign on each break to keep your credits up to speed - I think in the summer social welfare doesn't kick in till mid July? It's a pain in the rear end getting these "stints" etc filled in each holiday.


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    #5
    Pinkycharm
    Registered Users Posts: 545 ✭✭✭Pinkycharm


    newtothis13 wrote: »
    Thanks for the reply, I'll do that, what do you mean the holiday pay is only given as a months payment? I am lost in all of this.

    as in depending on when you finish the maternity leave- your rate of pay is higher each month so technically you're supposed to be "saving" it. if maternity ends in february SW won't let you sign until the "holiday pay" is over (your holiday pay is supposed to cover 2 months so that would bring you to April) i think but if it ends in may you won't have any money over the summer or be able to sign until September. you can still go to dole office and fill out forms but nothing will kick in until september.

    before I got my own hours i used to have to do it as well- it's so annoying!


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    #6
    happywithlife
    Registered Users Posts: 1,324 ✭✭✭happywithlife


    Pinkycharm wrote: »
    as in depending on when you finish the maternity leave- your rate of pay is higher each month so technically you're supposed to be "saving" it. if maternity ends in february SW won't let you sign until the "holiday pay" is over (your holiday pay is supposed to cover 2 months so that would bring you to April) i think but if it ends in may you won't have any money over the summer or be able to sign until September. you can still go to dole office and fill out forms but nothing will kick in until september.

    before I got my own hours i used to have to do it as well- it's so annoying!

    I've been able to sign on before during the summer and gotten paid - I usually do the exams as well so it'd be mid august before I get anything but by then it's badly needed. My office gets very shirty if you don't go in the first day of your unemployment regardless of your entitlement to a claim or not for a few weeks


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    #7
    aunt aggie
    Registered Users Posts: 454 ✭✭aunt aggie


    newtothis13 wrote: »
    Hi there,
    Covering my first maternity leave and have been told there are some forms to fill out to give to social welfare and also that I should let them know during the holidays that I am not working (I'm aware I won't get to draw stamps due to extra holiday pay).
    Anybody with experience in this have any info please?
    Thanks

    I knew that holiday pay was included in my hourly rate but I had never considered popping into the social welfare during the midterms!! My schools have never mentioned this to me.

    Newtothis, which forms do you have to complete? because I think I should be doing the same. I wouldn't like to bring this issue up at school because you never know how some people would view it.


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    #8
    newtothis13
    Registered Users Posts: 40 ✭newtothis13


    aunt aggie wrote: »
    I knew that holiday pay was included in my hourly rate but I had never considered popping into the social welfare during the midterms!! My schools have never mentioned this to me.

    Newtothis, which forms do you have to complete? because I think I should be doing the same. I wouldn't like to bring this issue up at school because you never know how some people would view it.

    I'm not entirely sure about any forms someone just mentioned this to me, it could just be a case if notifying the local social welfare office during holiday time, maybe someone could enlighten us on that though. There's little or no info on union sites about this.
    Does the extra pay per hour mean a lot more tax?


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    #9
    happywithlife
    Registered Users Posts: 1,324 ✭✭✭happywithlife


    You'll get more info at the SW office than school office I'd imagine
    For me,what I've done in the past is gone into my SW office and explain at the counter I'm a post primary teacher employed as a sub and not getting paid while off. I ask to sign on for the week / 2 weeks or whatever to keep my credits up to date.
    I'm given a form called "stints" (not sure of spelling but that's how it's pronounced). I have to get school office (if voluntary secondary or else send them them into the etb directly). They fill out hours worked and holiday pay paid. I do fill in the Jobseekers Benefit form but where it asks reasons for leaving last employment etc I just put down "substitute teacher - Christmas holidays " or whatever. When it asks if I'm currently looking for work I fill in my return date ..it has worked so far for me anyway
    It can take several weeks and a bit of to'ing and fro'ing to get things sorted but you quickly get into the swing of things. In fact my local SW office has a "schools section" we're so common 😃


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    #10
    happywithlife
    Registered Users Posts: 1,324 ✭✭✭happywithlife


    Oh and I always do a P21 at the end of the year so get my tax sorted out that way - if you're just starting off teaching make sure you have applied to revenue for your flat rate expenses as a teacher - every little helps and all that 😃


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    #11
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,122 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    I know the TUI have a free 'financial check' service deal with Cornmarket (I'm sure the ASTI have similar). It's worth getting one of their advisors out to make sure you're claiming all allowances you and relief you are entitled to.


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    #12
    aunt aggie
    Registered Users Posts: 454 ✭✭aunt aggie


    newtothis13 wrote: »
    I'm not entirely sure about any forms someone just mentioned this to me, it could just be a case if notifying the local social welfare office during holiday time, maybe someone could enlighten us on that though. There's little or no info on union sites about this.
    Does the extra pay per hour mean a lot more tax?

    You might pay a higher percentage of tax on your monthly earnings but, as your tax is calculated from yearly earnings, this can be claimed back at the end of the tax year. This I have done before and I've never had a problem. Just pop into your local revenue office to see if you're owed tax back and you should be.

    Just saw your comment happywithlife. Fairly certain we're talking about the same thing.


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