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Maternity leave - confused by wording!

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  • 19-06-2018 12:29pm
    #1
    RomeWeddingGal
    Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭


    Hi everyone,

    Might just be having a pregnancy-related brain fart, but for some reason I can't get my head around the wording of this.

    Getting my ducks in order to apply for maternity benefit and I'm seriously confused about what date I should put down as my start date.

    The wording is that leave should start "at least 2 weeks before the end of the week in which her baby is due". My due date is Saturday, October 6th - so what date would you take that to mean? I was planning on finishing up on Friday, September 21st and having my first day of leave start on Monday, September 24th, but now I'm not sure.

    Can anyone help, please?!


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    #2
    Millem
    Registered Users Posts: 7,729 ✭✭✭Millem


    RomeWeddingGal wrote: »
    Hi everyone,

    Might just be having a pregnancy-related brain fart, but for some reason I can't get my head around the wording of this.

    Getting my ducks in order to apply for maternity benefit and I'm seriously confused about what date I should put down as my start date.

    The wording is that leave should start "at least 2 weeks before the end of the week in which her baby is due". My due date is Saturday, October 6th - so what date would you take that to mean? I was planning on finishing up on Friday, September 21st and having my first day of leave start on Monday, September 24th, but now I'm not sure.

    Can anyone help, please?!

    If you want to maximise time off your mat leave starts monday 24th. If you were due Monday the 8th your mat leave could start monday the 1st ;)

    Basically they count forward to the saturday of your due date, then count back 2 weeks then count forward to the next monday!


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    #3
    Cakerbaker
    Registered Users Posts: 850 ✭✭✭Cakerbaker


    My understanding is you can start on the 24th as you had planned or on the 1st if you want to push it out. Your last day at work has to be the Friday 2 weeks before the end of the week in which your due date falls. As your due date is Saturday 6th, you can count forward to Friday 12th and go back 2 weeks from there which would be the 28th as your last day in work.

    I did similar this pregnancy as I’m due on a Monday so pushed it out as far as I could. I’m now sitting at home on sick leave as I just wasn’t able for the commuting/ exhaustion from not sleeping etc. While it’s nice to have as long as possible afterwards it’s also important to be as rested as you can for labour / tiredness after baby arrives so think about that when deciding when to finish. Plus in hindsight with maternity leave, unpaid maternity leave, bank holidays, annual leave etc I’m going to be off for nearly a year so one week either way wouldn’t have made a huge difference! Might be different if just taking the 6 months though.


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    #4
    RomeWeddingGal
    Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭RomeWeddingGal


    Thanks, ladies - big help. Think I'll stick with the 24th, so. I work from home which I think will make things slightly easier in terms of not having to deal with a commute - plus I'm pretty sure I'm only going to be taking the 26 weeks. 2 weeks before sounds like a good compromise. Thank you!


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    #5
    Cakerbaker
    Registered Users Posts: 850 ✭✭✭Cakerbaker


    If you have a MyGovId account you can apply online and you should hear back very quickly (2 days in my case). I’ve heard it’s taking weeks if you send it by post to Buncrana.

    Edited to add you need a public services card to do it online though.


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    #6
    RomeWeddingGal
    Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭RomeWeddingGal


    Yeah, I looked into that and it seemed handy, but the rigmarole of having to get a Public Services Card put me off doing it online... does it take long for the PSC application to be processed, do you know?


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    #7
    Cakerbaker
    Registered Users Posts: 850 ✭✭✭Cakerbaker


    RomeWeddingGal wrote: »
    Yeah, I looked into that and it seemed handy, but the rigmarole of having to get a Public Services Card put me off doing it online... does it take long for the PSC application to be processed, do you know?

    I’m not sure to be honest, I was sent an appointment to get one a few years ago (I’m assuming it’s because I was in receipt of maternity benefit at the time) so I didn’t have to go about getting it myself. Someone else might be better able to give you an idea. To be honest if I had to go to the hassle of getting the card I’d probably just send in the paper application.


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    #8
    RomeWeddingGal
    Registered Users Posts: 16 ✭RomeWeddingGal


    Cakerbaker wrote: »
    I’m not sure to be honest, I was sent an appointment to get one a few years ago (I’m assuming it’s because I was in receipt of maternity benefit at the time) so I didn’t have to go about getting it myself. Someone else might be better able to give you an idea. To be honest if I had to go to the hassle of getting the card I’d probably just send in the paper application.

    Thanks what I'm thinking... although I have a few weeks to play around with before I need to apply. I'll look into it, though. Thanks!


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