Parents-to-be

Workers exercising their rights to maternity, paternity or adoption leave and pay have the right not to be dismissed for that reason. Additionally, a woman has the legal right not to be dismissed or made redundant for pregnancy-related reasons during her pregnancy and for the whole of her maternity leave.

She has the right to take maternity leave and to receive either Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance, provided she earns enough to qualify.

The main benefit available for bringing up children comes in the form of Child Benefit. It is available to families whether or not a parent is working. From 6 April 2013 Child Benefit is income-related (see page 57), but the majority of families should be entitled to some form of payment.

The period of Statutory Maternity Pay, Maternity Allowance and Adoption Pay is 39 weeks.

Only employees can claim the different types of statutory parental leave, including maternity leave. Agency workers, in particular, cannot claim these rights, unless they are employees of the employment agency.

Although agency workers are not entitled to statutory maternity leave, they can qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay, as long as they meet the other qualifying criteria (see page 51).