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Original poster

To think maternity pay should be better funded?

87 replies

iguano88 · 23/03/2024 11:02

I saw this post earlier this week.

We are expecting our first baby. As it stands we won’t be able to comfortably afford a second: finances of maternity leave, childcare, mortgages rates, everything.

Surely people will start to choose to have no kids or just have one, because of the financial barriers. If everyone does this there are going to be huge consequences population wise down the line. If people are employed I am not sure why they are not entitled to better pay while they are on leave.

You could go on long term sick and get full pay for 6 months and half pay for 6 months, why should that be any better than maternity pay? I just don’t understand.

To think maternity pay should be better funded?
OP posts:
edwinbear · 23/03/2024 11:18

As a percentage increase then, MA is going up by 7% and MP’s salaries by 5.5%.

Dewdilly · 23/03/2024 11:17

iguano88 · 23/03/2024 11:02

I saw this post earlier this week.

We are expecting our first baby. As it stands we won’t be able to comfortably afford a second: finances of maternity leave, childcare, mortgages rates, everything.

Surely people will start to choose to have no kids or just have one, because of the financial barriers. If everyone does this there are going to be huge consequences population wise down the line. If people are employed I am not sure why they are not entitled to better pay while they are on leave.

You could go on long term sick and get full pay for 6 months and half pay for 6 months, why should that be any better than maternity pay? I just don’t understand.

Most people don’t get anything like that if they are off sick. And having a child is a choice. Being sick isn’t. I think government maternity pay and conditions are pretty generous. And a company is paying you 75% of your pay for six months is really good. Mine was only for six weeks.

Dryt · 23/03/2024 11:15

Yes, huge costs to society if children don’t have responsive parenting in a calm home in their first months of life. It should be affordable for everyone to have children, not just those who’ve fallen on the right side of the massively growing inequality since 2010 or had help with a deposit.

Overtheatlantic · 23/03/2024 11:14

Many women return to work after 6 months because they need to for financial reasons. There is nothing wrong with this. It’s a luxury to take off a year. It shouldn’t be up to the government to provide a further subsidy.

Babyroobs · 23/03/2024 11:13

iguano88 · 23/03/2024 11:02

I saw this post earlier this week.

We are expecting our first baby. As it stands we won’t be able to comfortably afford a second: finances of maternity leave, childcare, mortgages rates, everything.

Surely people will start to choose to have no kids or just have one, because of the financial barriers. If everyone does this there are going to be huge consequences population wise down the line. If people are employed I am not sure why they are not entitled to better pay while they are on leave.

You could go on long term sick and get full pay for 6 months and half pay for 6 months, why should that be any better than maternity pay? I just don’t understand.

An awful lot of people do not get 6 months full pay if they are sick. Yes you do if you work in the NHS, but most people don't. If I am sick I get ssp only of £109 a week which would be a quarter of my normal pay.

SquashPenguin · 23/03/2024 11:12

Dacadactyl · 23/03/2024 11:10

Does your company not offer an enhanced package? In my experience most do fir a set period and then it drops to the rate you've outlined above.

I don’t know a single person who gets enhanced pay through their work, except those who work for the nhs. I’m not sure it’s a commonplace as people think!

Original poster
iguano88 · 23/03/2024 11:11

Dacadactyl · 23/03/2024 11:10

Does your company not offer an enhanced package? In my experience most do fir a set period and then it drops to the rate you've outlined above.

They do, works out I’ll get about 75% of my wage for 6ish months and then SMP for another 9 weeks then nothing.

OP posts:
PickledPurplePickle · 23/03/2024 11:11

Also getting ill is not a matter of choice, having a baby is a decision

Dacadactyl · 23/03/2024 11:10

Does your company not offer an enhanced package? In my experience most do fir a set period and then it drops to the rate you've outlined above.

PickledPurplePickle · 23/03/2024 11:10

Not everyone gets full pay when off sick, many are SSP only

Original poster
iguano88 · 23/03/2024 11:07

DarkDarkTimeOfLife · 23/03/2024 11:05

People are often not expecting to become unwell for an extended period of time so don’t save for it I suppose.

True. Begs the question; should only the people who can afford to save for a whole maternity leave be able to have kids? What about one or low income households, or those who want more than one child but are already paying extortionate childcare fees?

OP posts:
DarkDarkTimeOfLife · 23/03/2024 11:05

People are often not expecting to become unwell for an extended period of time so don’t save for it I suppose.

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