To think the amount of SMP is entirely unreasonable?

My heart bleeds.

High earners really do deserve more money to make up the fact that they earn more money.

It’s a valid statement. Many people have unrealistic expectations about things like SMP, state pension etc and don’t actually know how much they will get.

Ive seen young adults opting out of pension programs with the assumption state pension will be sufficient. And when I ask so how much do you think state pension pays now they emm and ummm with no idea.

So in an accident or emergency you wouldn’t use A and E as private cover here doesn’t fund emergencies. What about when you’re not in such great health, would you use the nhs then? What about needing a blood product or something of that ilk

glad to know you’re not having kids as private doesn’t fund mat care.

its rare it funds GPs but you can have virtual ones, and pay out of pocket so we’ll presume you use that.

you wouldn’t take social care? Or call the police or fire In an emergency? Presume you never went to school either? Let’s follow this , no one pays for me argument to its fullest conclusion. Wouldn’t want to be a hypocrite now would we?!

SMP should be 90% of earnings for at least 6 months, not just the first 6 weeks!

SMP is really tough going on high earning women.

I think alot secretly wish someone else would pay for everything to do with their child and never have to spend a penny

Haha I was just about to type this. It’s now £221 a week after 35 years or contribution.

I really worry for many young people who choose to opt out of pension contributions from their employers thinking they will have state pension.

You have 6 months full pay, then SMP and you don’t think it’s enough?

Yet have had before you got pregnant, the pregnancy and then 6 months on full pay to save to plug the gap for the last 12 weeks. Plus you can use accrued annual leave so get paid for a good chunk and be at home.

So do you believe people having kids should be on the full wage for the entirety of their leave?

I asked for more and ended up with 6 months full pay and 6 months half
Worth a try ?

Just just a word of reassurance for women who might feel upset reading the comments from the OP and others about nursery at six months being abhorrent etc.

My kids all went to nursery between seven and 10 months. We are now incredibly close with each other now they are at university. We have one of the best bonds with our young adult kids amongst our friends. They have not been damaged at all by the nursery experience, because they had the adavantage of unconditional love and security at home. In fact the baby who went to nursery the earliest is the happiest adult!

I’m just adding this for balance for anyone struggling with the idea of having to go back to work and leave their babies at nursery. I promise that you can’t tell which of their friends went to nursery as babies, age 2 or just started school.

or end up with a disabled child and your only income will be carers allowance - £81.40 per week and that will be long term.

What roles or companies do offer better? Genuine question.

additionally many companies don’t publish their maternity pay on external websites so you wouldn’t know until application

So I’m not the OP but I do think big companies shouldn’t be allowed to offer pure smp- a shocking amount do. If their revenue and headcount is over a certain amount, then they shouldn’t be able to offer smp

for medium business there could be similar schemes to pensions, defined contribution schemes ontop of smp.

but generally yes increase in tax to fund it would work, and yes everyone should get it in my opinion. Although I can see an argument for it to be capped if spouse or partner earns over £100k

I think enhanced for six months and then SMP is fair enough. If you want more than that then it should be up to you to save for it, or find a role that offers better.

Well I'm not having children

I don't use the NHS haven't need to as I'm in good health and I pay for private medical.

I am already paying into private pension via work and putting additional money aside in savings to cover my care since it'll just be me on my own and no family to help.

I can't opt out of state pension and if I did theb I woukd expect my NI contributions to go down since that is the current contract pay NI for 36yrs in exchange for full state pension. So if i could opt out I woukd but only if it reduced my NI. Infact there used to be a contracted out situation in public sector but that has stopped. Shame.

So actually others aren't funding me right now

Okay @SMPWTF how much do you think you and everyone else should get on SMP?

Should it be paid across the board regardless of the household income?

How would it be funded? Increased taxes on everyone?

Do they though? But most still do default to smp even for a period of time

I think you need to work on your reading comprehension, nobody is saying people have kids for the sole purpose of funding pensions.

There are massive tax advantages to saving for retirement and auto enrol is further encouraging it, along with government jobs having very good defined benefit schemes. Those who cannot work through disability are supported through disability benefits and then the state pension (funded by the tax payer I.e. future generations) what else exactly do you suggest?

The world but the country needs children to support the aging population

surely you can see a total revolution of how uk society has been set up is not realistic

but given your views I imagine you don’t use the NHS, won’t take state pension etc, wouldn’t want others to fund you now would you

I don’t agree- SMP is a supposed to be bare minimum, most employers offer enhanced benefits. If you have no other funds you get uc or other benefits. I’m a single mum and it is difficult but there is a limit to what the taxpayer can fund (I believe SMP is taxpayer funded as companies can reclaim it against NICs).

I find your post unreal, so people have kids just to fund people's pensions maybe we start changing it so we don't rely on other people funding retirement etc and people fund themselves. With the exception being those who genuinely cannot work through disability as an example.

Change the system

I think the planet is overpopulated we do not need more people born.

If society has constructed itself that it relies on giving birth to people to keep the money wheel turning then perhaps we need to rethink the society construct and change that instead

Christ, the irony of this post is unreal. Who do you think is funding the ageing population? It will be the kids born today or immigrants. State pension isn’t like a savings account, it’s the current working population who fund it and therefore we need to keep replacing them. I think you need to educate yourself about the impact of population decline before making such ignorant statements.

Of course there is, it’s a benefit to society, we need to have more babies born to sustain the population

that is pure individualism, do you make the same argument about social care or a public health service or state pension? Doubt it

oh it’s as simple to just get a better job, of course how easy that is. Silly women everywhere, you just need to get a better job.

Be fair, it’s vastly better than it used to be, and far, far better than countries like the U.S.A.

Yes, it would be nice to have more but before the Blair government it was 14 weeks: 6 weeks on 90% and 8 weeks on SMP. We now have people able to take up to a year, which is so much better for the babies.

It’s not a race to the bottom but let’s at least acknowledge how far it’s come in a generation.

It is absolutely sickening. I'm currently 20 weeks and saving up so, so hard for my mat leave. I earn about 3x my DH, so we're going to find things very tough when I go on mat leave. The £184 a week is less than I earn in a day at the moment!! I am lucky enough to work for the NHS so I have a reasonable mat pay package, but even then, it's about a 2/3 drop in my salary.