For babies due from 1 April 2007 the period for which Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) can be paid has been extended to a maximum of 39 weeks. In due course this will be extended to 52 weeks with the option to transfer 13 weeks to the father by way of Statutory Paternity Pay. The government has deferred the option to transfer part to the father until at least 2009.
Keeping In Touch (‘KIT’) days have also been introduced, up to a maximum of ten per pregnancy. These allow mothers to do some incidental work, such as an odd days training or to go into work occasionally to ‘Keep in Touch’, without the loss of a whole week’s SMP which would have been the case in the past. The employer is allowed to pay the mother for the time worked in addition to paying the SMP due for the week.