SMP parameters are normally stored in a company 00 or global data file and used by all payroll companies on your payroll system. If however your payroll system contains a mixture of payroll companies treated as Small Employers for SMP recovery and not Small Employers for SMP recovery it is necessary to have a company specific data file for SMP parameters.
Warning: SMP parameters are automatically updated as a part of the annual payroll software update but they should always be checked after the update prior to calculating the first payroll of the new Pay As You Earn year for all payroll companies to ensure the correct rates are present.
If the top of the form shows a message There is only one global SMP parameter file therefore it only necessary to check the SMP parameters in a single payroll company then you only need to check the parameters in the one payroll company.
If the top of the form shows a message similar to Payroll companies 00 and 02 SMP parameter files therefore you should check the SMP parameters for each of these companies following annual upgrades then you should check the parameters in one of the companies other than a non 00 company listed, that is, not company 02 in this example and also in the non company/companies listed - company 02 in this example.
If the top of the form shows a message similar to There are more than 100 payroll companies with SMP parameter files therefore you should check the SMP parameters for ALL companies following annual upgrades then you should check as advised all payroll companies.
To access the SMP parameters
The Payroll Password form is displayed.
Enter your payroll password.
The PAYROLL menu is displayed.
Select the System maintenance option.
The PR SYSTEM MAINTENANCE menu is displayed.
Select the SMP parameters option.
The SMP parameters form is displayed.
SMP parameters form
The SMP parameters form is displayed when you select the SMP parameters option from the PR SYSTEM MAINTENANCE menu.
What do you want to do or be advised about?
Maintenance of the SMP parameters
The SMP parameters record consists of two TABs called SMP parameters and Audit.
To amend the SMP parameters record click the Amend button, make the amendments and click the Save button to save the changes.
SMP parameters Tab
Table identifier: This is system controlled and will always be set to SMP.
Max weeks SMP liability: The maximum liability in weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay for any one employee.
Weeks at higher rate: The number of weeks higher rate Statutory Maternity Pay that an employee is paid.
Higher rate %: Specifies the rate that is to be used to calculate the SMP period pay for the weeks at the higher rate. The Higher % rate is also used with the SMP average pay when calculating the standard weekly amount.
Standard weekly amount: Specifies the standard weekly rate that is to be used to calculate SMP weeks that are not paid at the higher rate. Also SMP average pay x higher rate % will be used instead of the Standard weekly amount if its value is less than the Standard weekly amount.
Transition date: The date that SMP rules are last changed. This will be set to 01/04/2007 which is when based on the EWC date that SMP payment is extended from 26 to 39 weeks.
Old weekly amount: If the expected week of childbirth date is before the transition date change the system will use this Old weekly amount.
Old SMP weeks: The maximum liability in weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay for SMP payments when the expected week of childbirth date is prior to the transitional date.
Weeks service to qualify: When entering the expected week of childbirth date if the employee has not been with the company for at least the number of weeks given by Weeks service to qualify then she does not qualify for SMP. The system does however allow for the date to be processed.
Qualifying weeks before EWC: When the system prompts for the employee's childbirth date, the date that is defaulted is the current system date plus the Qualifying weeks before EWC. The nearest Sunday is then defaulted
Earliest before EWC: Governs the earliest date before the expected week of childbirth date that payment of SMP can be commenced.
Latest after EWC: Governs the latest date after the expected week of childbirth date that payment of SMP can be commenced.
Compensation %: The SMP recovery rate is used to calculate the total SMP NI compensation for the period as follows - SMP claimed x Compensation % / 100
SMP recovery rate: The SMP claimed is calculated as follows - SMP period pay x SMP recovery rate / 100.
SSP link weeks: The number of weeks to be used prior to the Expected Week of Childbirth (EWC) for pregnancy related sickness advising the user to start the Maternity Pay Period (MPP) following the first full day off with the pregnancy related sickness.
Maximum SMP KIT days: The highest number of Keeping In Touch - KIT days that may be entered on a payroll record for reference purposes before the employee should start to loose a week of standard rate SMP for any weeks that the employee attended work.
What do you want to do?
Audit Tab
The Audit form is displayed when you select the Audit Tab from the SMP parameters form.
The audit data TAB is system maintained and may be used to check when and by who the SMP parameters record has been amended.
The following fields are displayed on the Audit Tab. All of these fields are self-explanatory and thus no explanation is supplied.
Date last edit
Time last edit
Last edit by
Terminal last edit
What do you want to do?
PUSH BUTTONS:
Exit: Returns you to the PR SYSTEM MAINTENANCE menu.
Help: Displays help on the current application in your default company browser.
Amend: Click the Amend button if wanting to amend the SMP parameters record for the current payroll company.
Save: Saves any changes that you have made to the SMP parameters form.
Cancel: Cancels any changes that you have made to the SMP parameters form and returns you to the PR SYSTEM MAINTENANCE menu.
Setting up different SMP compensation and recovery rates
In order for your payroll system to allow for different SMP compensation % and SMP recovery rates between payroll companies it is necessary for company specific SMP parameter data files to be created. Determine which payroll companies require recovery treated as Small Employers and then contact the software support department with the company details. Software support will create the company files for those companies that are to be treated as Small Employers.
Reporting of SMP
SMP may be reported from the following places:-
The Payroll, Reports & enquiries, Period reports menu option called SMP details
The Payroll, Reports & enquiries, Year-end reports menu option called Year to date SMP details
The Payroll, Reports & enquiries, Year-end reports menu option called P35 listing
The Payroll, Reports & enquiries, Year-end reports menu option called P11 report from log
What do you want to do?
