Eligible students may get a maternity award for up to 12 months for maternity leave, as long as this is agreed in advance with your university.
The award usually includes all elements of your existing award except any relating to actual attendance on the course such as:
- Travel and Dual Accomodation Expenses (TDAE)
- Childcare Allowance
- Elements of DSAs which relate to course attendance
It is for you and the university to agree when your authorised absence for maternity leave should begin. Maternity leave cannot commence any later than the day after the date of birth of a child.
You'll need to provide your university with confirmation of your pregnancy before starting maternity leave (usually the official form MAT B1 which you can get from your GP or midwife after you have been pregnant for 20 weeks).
Your university will send us a BUR101W(MAT) form to let us know of the date of withdrawal and date you expect to resume.
The Department of Health and Social Care have advised that 2 weeks is the statutory minimum amount of maternity leave that must be taken by NHS students so you will be unable to return within 2 weeks of giving birth. If you want to return within 2 - 12 weeks you should discuss the options with your university.
If your leave continues into a new academic year you'll need to reapply for payments to continue for the remainder of your agreed period of leave.
If you took less than 12 months leave and want to extend this we'll need another BUR101W(MAT) from your university with the updated details of your maternity leave.
Your university will need to send a BUR101R (MAT) when you return to studies.
The same arrangements apply if you wish to take time off from your course in order to adopt a child or children.
Maternity support / adoption support
Students who have started on a NHS pre-registration course and who are in receipt of the maintenance grant element of the NHS Bursary are eligible for up to four weeks of authorised leave to provide support to a mother and child during and after childbirth or adoption. This includes:
- Biological fathers
- Adoptive fathers
- Nominated Carers
- Partners
Students are also entitled to this period of leave if their baby is stillborn, or dies subsequent to birth.
This is known as a maternity support award.
It is for you and your university to decide when the authorised absence should begin and how the leave will be taken.
Your 4 weeks authorised leave can be taken as a block or can be split.
It is expected that authorised absence for maternity support is to be taken within a six month period of the child being born.
Your university will send us a BUR101W(MAT), which is authorised by a designated officer at the university.
The BUR101W(MAT) must be completed by both the university and yourself. Your university will forward the form to us.
We will not need the BUR101R (MAT) when your maternity support ends as the return date is will be on the BUR101W (MAT).