Reply to: Paternity Leave

[psychocandy]

Honestly, I can't believe you're contemplating fraud at all, never mind over £230 especially on a public forum.

LOL. No I aint. The wrath of my Mrs if I told her I was going in for the week rather than staying home is mightier than anything the legal system could throw at me.

Just pointing out that it'd be difficult to get caught if one wanted to do this.....

I think formant has it cracked though because Keep in Touch days during maternity are perfectly legal.

[Old Hack]

Honestly, I can't believe you're contemplating fraud at all, never mind over £230 especially on a public forum.

It was a nice little hole she was digging for herself...

[b0redom]

Honestly, I can't believe you're contemplating fraud at all, never mind over £230 especially on a public forum.

[psychocandy]

It is a maximum of 10, so I'm claiming 2 days per week for 5 weeks in total. What's naughty is that I may or may not be spreading my hours over more than 2 days per week, but only putting 2 days on my timesheet (with clientco management approval). Or the agreement that if additional work comes up I may just do it now but invoice for it later, after I've stopped claiming. This hasn't happened yet though and most likely won't.

To be honest, I still can't believe I got lucky enough to even get to keep this contract.

Essentially, I don't think what I'm doing is any different to what normal maternity leavers do - I just started my KIT days after 2.5 weeks rather than several months.

Ah. I see.

But the point is if your employer (you) gives you time off and you claim maternity, who exactly is going to check whether your employer is still billing someone? No-one I guess.

How are they going to know whether you're going to client or not?

But it is fraud. You're way does sound legit-ish...

Good news on keeping the contract as well.

[formant]

Isn't that a bit naughty though? i.e. claiming maternity and still working.

If we had traditional employers its cut and dried. Working or not. But of course we're our own employer.

So, theoretically, as with SPP, you could work and bill the client and still claim and actually be better off. Who'd know.

Like I said, bit naughty though. But as you say, KIT days are allowed - but isnt it a max of 10 during the maternity?

It is a maximum of 10, so I'm claiming 2 days per week for 5 weeks in total. What's naughty is that I may or may not be spreading my hours over more than 2 days per week, but only putting 2 days on my timesheet (with clientco management approval). Or the agreement that if additional work comes up I may just do it now but invoice for it later, after I've stopped claiming. This hasn't happened yet though and most likely won't.

To be honest, I still can't believe I got lucky enough to even get to keep this contract.

Essentially, I don't think what I'm doing is any different to what normal maternity leavers do - I just started my KIT days after 2.5 weeks rather than several months.

[Old Hack]

Seriously, £270 of free money - why not claim it?

I'm still on 'maternity leave', claiming maternity allowance.
And working/billing for 16hrs a week over two days.
Keep-in-touch days....great stuff.
(losing track of when to stop claiming, I think I've got about 3 weeks left)

Hmmm

[psychocandy]

Seriously, £270 of free money - why not claim it?

I'm still on 'maternity leave', claiming maternity allowance.
And working/billing for 16hrs a week over two days.
Keep-in-touch days....great stuff.
(losing track of when to stop claiming, I think I've got about 3 weeks left)

Isn't that a bit naughty though? i.e. claiming maternity and still working.

If we had traditional employers its cut and dried. Working or not. But of course we're our own employer.

So, theoretically, as with SPP, you could work and bill the client and still claim and actually be better off. Who'd know.

Like I said, bit naughty though. But as you say, KIT days are allowed - but isnt it a max of 10 during the maternity?

[formant]

Seriously, £270 of free money - why not claim it?

I'm still on 'maternity leave', claiming maternity allowance.
And working/billing for 16hrs a week over two days.
Keep-in-touch days....great stuff.
(losing track of when to stop claiming, I think I've got about 3 weeks left)

[psychocandy]

Amen to that.

One page.

[psychocandy]

Luckily, dear old Mrs candy works for the NHS and maternity pay is quite good. Since she only works part-time anyway (£900/month) it means even when she goes down to 1/2 pay they still at SMP onto that so it takes her back up full pay.

And, of course, leave still accrues and they like you to lump it on the end. i.e finish maternity at 11 months and take the last month as leave or whatever.

[vetran]

wife is taking a couple of months off, she will be claiming Maternity leave.

Its free money and fairly easily to claim.

for Ltd owners just declare some dividends on top. You can up your salary for the rest of the year or give yourself a post pregnancy salary bonus.

[northernladuk]

If you take the time off, it seems silly not to claim the £270 if the paperwork's not to onerous.

Amen to that.

[d000hg]

If you take the time off, it seems silly not to claim the £270 if the paperwork's not to onerous.

[TheFaQQer]

Just been speaking to one of the permies here.

"So i hear you're taking paternity leave soon.... blah blah blah"

It's not paternity leave, i'm having a bit of a break.

Didn't want to go through the rigmoral of trying to explain differences between contractor and employee, so i'm having a rant here instead.

Just tell them it can't be paternity, since it's not yours.

[psychocandy]

Contractors certainly can claim Statutory Paternity Pay:

SPP is paid to partners who take time off to care for the baby or support the mother in the first few weeks after the birth.
It is available to:
• a biological father
• a partner/husband or civil partner who is not the baby’s biological father
• a mother’s female partner in a same sex couple;

The partner must have
• given 28 days notice of his paternity leave (unless with good reason)
• provided a declaration of family commitment on form SC3
• been employed continuously for 26 weeks up to and including his qualifying week
• had average weekly earnings above the Lower Earnings Limit in the relevant period.

The Amount Payable

SPP is payable for a maximum of 2 weeks and must be taken in one block i.e. as 1 week or 2 but not 2 single weeks with a working week in between. It is payable at the following rate in 2012/13:
• the lower of:
- 90% of Average Weekly Earnings
- £135.45 per week

SPP is treated as normal pay and taxed accordingly.

So contractors taking a salary of £7488 will be able to claim the £135.45 from HMRC, via their company. Just ask your accountant, whilst it is not a fortune, it all helps.

Alan

And, of course, its not worth the risk for £270 of claiming this and continue to rock up at clients site. ;-)

I guess it is a grey area for company directors though.