Self employed - maternity leave

Hi, I’m a nurse and have my own aesthetics clinic so I’m in the same situation, however I was also in the same situation with my first child who is now 2 and a half. Maternity allowance is rubbish BUT the only advice I can give is to save up as much as you can in the lead up to your mat leave, I only had 4 months off before I went back to work part time because we wouldn’t have survived on maternity allowance. This time I’ll only be having around 2 months off, mainly due to my client base but I’ll be going back part time again and slowly increasing hours as babies get older! You make it work - mainly because we have to but don’t put too much pressure on yourself, figure out your monthly finances and work out what you need to cover the difference / how much time off you’d ideally like and then save the extra to make maternity more comfortable. You’re welcome to message me if you need to, I know the struggles all too well but we made it work and we’re here for round 2 😃🙌🏼 x

It’s awful isn’t it! Should be based on our tax returns. My first it was only £500 so I’m pleased to see its increased a little. I’ll be doing the same as Meg and saving as well as going back part time. x

Hey there! So my first question is how is your self-employment structured? Are you set up as a sole trader or do you have a limited company? The way I was advised to do it many years ago by my accountant when I first went self-employed was as a limited company. So I am the 'director' of my own limited company and essentially pay myself as PAYE, so I get a salary like any normal 9-5 person would. I am also able to take dividends from the company. This makes a HUGE difference for things like maternity pay.