# Adoption Pay



## Poppets Mammy (Mar 7, 2011)

Does anyone understand adoption pay? Why do they word everything so waffley  

I work for the NHS and I am entitled to contractual adoption pay. Where does statutory adoption pay come into this?

I assumed that statutory adoption pay was for those who weren't entitled to contractual adoption pay. However after reading our policy is states I am entitled to 8weeks full pay less any SAP receivable, then 18 weeks half pay plus any SAP payable, then 13 weeks any CAP to which I am entitled under the statutory scheme!!

What on earth does all that mean?? Is there anyone who understands HR waffle that can put this into plain English for me, or who is on leave that can explained understands it all?

Do I get SAP and CAP??

I'm just planning ahead and putting our finances in order for when we are matched.

Thanks guys


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## GERTIE179 (Apr 20, 2005)

Hi can't wait

Can't claim to be an expert as not yet in this position but I'm normally quite good at interpreting companies policies :-D

I would say the the first 8 weeks you will be on 100% pay
Ie your work will pay what they normally would and will claim the SAP back from Govt.
After that will be 50% pay as that is there policy but they are still allowing you to claim SAP
Basically SAP entitled you to 26wks (as long as u in same employment in prev 26wks) 
As this comes from Govt then Companies cannot not pay this.
Companies can either top this up but some use it in their top ups or nOT.
Does this make sense?

If I've got anything wrong then I'm sorry x


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## Poppets Mammy (Mar 7, 2011)

Hahaha, thanks Gertie179. Its all very baffling, but yes I think you've confirmed what I had interpretated from it all. Im going to contact salaries and wages and ask for a quote of what I will get etc. Think thats the best option. Xx


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## julesF (Apr 7, 2009)

if your working out adoption pay and finances after matching don't forget child benefit as well


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## Poppets Mammy (Mar 7, 2011)

Hi Jules, thanks but dont think im entitled to child benefit. I found a benefit calculator and it said I could £0 a week  
x


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## MrsYG (Oct 30, 2007)

Hi Can't wait,

Each employer is different, but it sounds like you get a good deal.

You get Statutory Pay and Occupational Pay, and you WILL get child benefit which is £20.30 per week, this is payable from the day they move in.  You may have checked Working tax credits which you may or may not receive, it depends on your salaries.

I'm entitled to 12 months leave, but the last 12 weeks will be unpaid.

Ask your HR team for exact figures, they should be able to work it out for you.  Tell them you NEED it for Home study    as it will form part of your PAR! 

x


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## swallowtail (Dec 8, 2009)

Good idea! Thanks MrsYG


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## Poppets Mammy (Mar 7, 2011)

OHH Thanks MrYG, thats helpful. I think I had looked at working tax credits as just read somewhere else about every child getting £20.30 per week regardless. 

Im on anual leave this week (hense why im spending my time doing home study homework   ) but Im deff going to email HR asking for some accurate figures as I doubt my calculations are very accurate   

Xx


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## AoC (Oct 28, 2008)

I just wanted to say thanks for this thread - it's prompted me to ask HR for some accurate figures, too, and now I know if they come back and say, "we don't do that," I can tell them it's needed for the PAR.  

One things (I'm NHS, too) I noticed is that in our policy it says you can elect to have your pay averaged out over however many months you are taking off, which can help with budgeting.  So it's worth checking if you have that option.


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## MrsYG (Oct 30, 2007)

Oh yeah AoC, we have the option to do that too, averaging out the pay.  Not sure if everyone is the same, but I get all my annual leave and stat days carried forward to the next year too.  So you can also take annual leave after 10 months and get back onto full pay whilst still being off with LO... something else to consider if you plan on going back to work!


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## Ivavnuk (Mar 24, 2012)

Mine is very good in that I get 26 weeks at full pay because of length of service - and then statutory adoption pay for the subsequent 26 weeks if I choose to take it. SAP is £128.73 or 90 per cent of your average weekly earnings if this is less.

At the moment I don't think I could afford to take the last 26 weeks off even taking into addition the child benefit.


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## julesF (Apr 7, 2009)

ivanuk- you may find that regardless of whether you can afford it you need the extra time we saved for mnths before the kids arrived and had planned to return to work after 26weeks but the kids weren't ready and DH who took leave has just returned part time, we found that you just manage, the kids need a parent at home. your priorities change completely and i was career minded through and through 


best of luck


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## Ivavnuk (Mar 24, 2012)

Hi Jules, thank you for your reply  

I'll be going back to work for 4 days and DH works in the evening. So on those 4 days where I won't be there all day we will have someone with the LO throughout the day - with time for a family meal in the middle.

Hopefully it will work out.  I do take your point though and will see how it goes.


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## thespouses (Jan 5, 2006)

Can't Wait said:


> Hi Jules, thanks but dont think im entitled to child benefit. I found a benefit calculator and it said I could £0 a week
> x


That must be a mistake as everyone still gets it now, it's only after the Budget comes into effect and even then it is quite a high income threshold. Are you thinking of tax credits (you have to pay for childcare normally to get them).


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## -x-Lolly-x- (Feb 3, 2012)

Wanted to say a big thank you to all who inputted on this thread!  I have pulled the adoption leave policy today (another NHS-er!) and this has confirmed what I was thinking all the jargon meant!  Also very happily forgot about the annual leave allocation and so that will be added to my excel spreadsheet and figures amended, yay!  

Lolly xxxx


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## Emma-is-a-mummy (Jan 16, 2012)

Looks like there is a few nhs'ers on this thread! me too and thanks for the info i didnt really understand it either

Good luck everyone x


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## time2bmom (Jan 18, 2012)

My company are tiny weeny and don't do anything for adoption other than the statutory :-(
If you read our handbook/contract it's quite amusing.. about 1 page of A4 on maternity and 4 lines on adoption! 
We don't even have a proper HR person, just a finance assistant lol.

Found these 2 sites really helpful - http://www.turn2ushelp.entitledto.co.uk/viewhelp.aspx?sid=13&ctyid=0&helpfile=matandpatrights
http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1461 when trying to work it all out!

/links


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## someday (Sep 11, 2008)

time2bmom said:


> My company are tiny weeny and don't do anything for adoption other than the statutory :-(
> If you read our handbook/contract it's quite amusing.. about 1 page of A4 on maternity and 4 lines on adoption!
> We don't even have a proper HR person, just a finance assistant lol.
> 
> ...


our company doesnt even have that on adoption. when i told them we were applying to adopt it was all new to them and they had to do some research which is fair enough. it is now in the staff handbook! lol


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