What happens to my voucher payments when I go on maternity leave?

  1. Legislation relating to the provision of non-pay benefits during maternity leave, states that, if you go on maternity leave for a second or subsequent child and are eligible, the University will provide you with the benefit of childcare vouchers at no cost to yourself, depending on which of the following options you take.
  2. To be eligible you must meet the following criteria:
  1. Be in the Childcare Voucher Scheme and be receiving childcare vouchers through the Childcare Vouchers Salary Exchange Scheme at week 15 before your due date. To comply with this criteria you must be in the scheme by the last day of the month before the month in which your "week 15 before your due date" falls. I.E. if your "week 15 before due date" is 25 June you will need to have joined the scheme by 31 May at the latest.
  2. Maintain the voucher value at the week 15 level, until the start of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) or Maternity Allowance (MA). Please note that if you reduce the voucher value after week 15 and before your due date the University will provide you with the reduced level of benefit.
  3. Remain in the employment of the University for the duration of your maternity leave.
  1. If you don't meet criteria i. and ii., you are able to salary exchange until SMP or MA starts, and the University will automatically withdraw you from the scheme.
  2. If you meet the above criteria then you can choose either option 1 or 2 below, depending on your personal circumstances.

Option 1: in receipt of University Contractual Maternity Pay

  1. If you opt to receive University Contractual Maternity Pay, you are able to continue to salary exchange in the normal way during the first 18 weeks of your maternity leave. This is because during this period you will receive maternity pay equal to your normal salary, which can be used for the purposes of salary exchange.
  2. After the first 18 weeks, if you are entitled, you will receive Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) for 21 weeks. You are also able to take up to 13 weeks unpaid leave after this period, amounting to a total of 52 weeks maternity leave.
  3. The University will provide you with the benefit of childcare vouchers at no cost to yourself from week 19 of your maternity leave. (Known as Maintained Benefit.)
  4. The amount of Maintained Benefit provided by the University will be based on the rate at which you salary exchanged from the 15th week before your due date onwards. This is calculated by the University once you have supplied the University with your due date. This arrangement will continue until the end of your maternity leave (week 52) or your return to work, whichever is sooner.

Option 2: in receipt of SMP or MA only

  1. If you opt to receive SMP only, or are only eligible to receive MA, from week 1 of your maternity leave, you will not be able to continue to salary exchange.
  2. The University will provide you with the benefit of childcare vouchers at no cost to yourself from week 1 of your maternity leave.
  3. The amount of Maintained Benefit provided by the University will be based on the rate at which you salary exchanged from the 15th week before your due date onwards. This is calculated by the University once you have supplied the University with your due date. This arrangement will continue until the end of your maternity leave (week 52) or your return to work, whichever is sooner.