Starting Childminding / Maternity Advice Needed

[Pebble76]

Sorry if I've posted this in the wrong place.....

Please could someone advise me as to my rights when starting childminding and finishing my maternity leave with my current employer. I'm currently on maternity leave from my employer (only receiving SMP), I plan to hand in my notice and start childminding at the end of my SMP. However, I have been asked to start childminding earlier than I planned to. I don't want to hand in my notice just yet as I will lose money but at the same time I don't want to turn down work when I'm only just starting out.... Do you know if there is any minimum amount you are allowed to earn or hours your allowed to work without declaring it. Is there any way that I can take the work offered or is it a no-go area until I have resigned and finsihed my mat leave?

Please could let me know if you have any advice or experience in this area as I have no clue where to start.

Thanks a million,
Pebble x

[vikiwizz]

You can still claim SMP and be self employed


This is from the DWP website the last paragraph is the relevant sentence. Hope it helps

Working in your Maternity Pay Period
If you are getting SMP from one employer and, before your baby is born, you do some work for another employer, your SMP is not affected.

Your SMP will stop if after the baby is born but before the end of the Maternity Pay Period, you work for an employer who did not employ you in the qualifying week. It is your responsibility to tell the employer paying you SMP about your new job. You must do this as soon as possible, and make sure you return any SMP payment you get that covers the week you started work and any part of the period after you resumed work.

If you do any work in a self-employed capacity during your MPP, then such work will not affect your SMP.

[Pebble76]

Thanks a million for answering my post. :-) x

[Kirsty90]

I have just returned from maternity leave and I was claiming SMP. I am only entitled to work 10 days whilst claiming just like any other person returning to work. I'm not sure how you would be able to work self employed & claim SMP at the same time?

Kirsty x

[vikiwizz]

I'm only going by that last sentence which says if you are going back to work self employed after being employed then you can continue to claim SMP until the end

[Pebble76]

Thanks to both of you for coming back to me on this, it has really helped. :-) x