Maternity Leave and Statutory Maternity Pay

NEW - From April 2008, the standard rate of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP) and Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) in the UK increased from £112.75 per week to £117.18 per week.

There have been a number of changes to Maternity Leave & Maternity Pay since 6th April 2003 with the addition of rights to paid adoption and paternity leave, and the right for parents of young children to apply to work flexibly. These rights, together with existing rights to parental leave and time off for dependants, provide parents with more opportunities than ever before to balance work and family life, whilst being compatible with, and beneficial to, business efficiency.