Low maternity pay forcing new mums to return to work after 12 weeks, says charity
by Jess Gibson
Four in 10 mothers were forced to take 12 weeks or less of maternity leave as a result of low maternity pay, according to a new survey carried out by charity Pregnant Then Screwed survey.
The charity, which carried out the research along with Women in Data, describes the UK’s rate of maternity pay as “measly” and is calling on the government to increase the rate of statutory maternity pay and maternity allowance.
Statutory maternity pay currently sits at 43% of the national living wage – £184 a week after the first six weeks – which, according to the charity, is causing “many families to experience financial hardship”.
The research also found that three-quarters (76%) of mothers have had to go into debt or withdraw money from their savings as a result of low statutory maternity pay. According to Pregnant Then Screwed, this has resulted in mothers reporting struggling to bond with their babies in the crucial early months due to money and debt-related stress.
The research is based upon weighted findings from a survey of 35,800 respondents. Of those, a nationally representative sample of, 5,870 respondents were selected. The sample is nationally representative across the UK population along gender, region, social grade and ethnicity. Weighting is based on the latest census and population estimations published by the ONS, NISRA and NRS.
Joeli Brearley, chief executive and founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, commented: “Maternity pay is an abomination. How is anyone meant to survive on £184 a week, which is less than half the minimum wage – the lowest amount someone can live on. The perinatal period is critically important to the health and wellbeing of a mother and her child, and I think we should all be deeply concerned that due to severe hardship, we are now seeing a degeneration and a degradation of this vital period. Ultimately, it is a false economy to not pay parental leave at a rate on which families can survive and thrive.
“We need a government that will listen to parents, creating policies which ensure they can survive and thrive, particularly in those early days. Right now, we are falling way behind our European counterparts, and it is not only this generation that is suffering the consequences, but it will be the next.”