To think maternity pay should also increase with inflation

[Frida9]

I am due to go on maternity leave from January, when I first found out I was pregnant I wanted to take a years maternity leave. With the extortionate cost of living increase I'll now be doing 6 months at most (I'm public sector so get 6 weeks full pay followed by half pay) and I know I'm one of the lucky ones. If I was just getting SMP I'd be back at work 6 weeks after giving birth.
I'm not on minimum wage and don't live in an expensive area but I will really struggle on maternity leave. Why is maternity pay not increasing along with benefits and pensions? I know I'll get the "you chose to have kids" argument but if we didn't have kids there would be no one working to pay for these benefit and pension increases.

Agreed OP, I am due on ML next year too but after April and I am already thinking they better bloody we'll increase it in line with everything else in the new financial year!
I'm private sector so on 6weeks 90% the. Statutory, I have an older DS who I will be keeping in nursery, we are aiming to save save save so I can still take some time off but I don't think I can even do 9 months, I'll probably do 7 (plus I don't love ML 🤭)

There hasn't really been any announcement on non means tested benefit rises yet but I'm sure they normally rise in April.

YANBU.
Im also going back after a couple of months post unexpected baby (contraception failure before anyone calls me irresponsible) so no savings. I get 10 weeks full pay and then SMP. Can’t afford to live on it, thank god I’ve grandparents to fall back on. The last time I could afford 6 months but then I had to return.

£600 a month is a disgrace in current times really, maybe employers should be encouraged to contribute more? Mines a billion pound corporate yet pays barely over the minimum.

It likely will go up but not by much. It went up this year in April which is when they usually announce new amounts. However, it only went up by about £4 so I doubt SMP is suddenly going to become manageable.

Minimum wage has gone up for you at least

I am genuinely thinking of selling my car so that I can take a bit longer 😂 me and DH would just have to work out sharing his car when I go back to work and we have nursery drop offs/pick ups

I'm not on minimum wage so really this just means what I am earning is worth even less

Agree but being pedantic (and I've seen both on this thread) I hate the "I'm in the private sector so..." and "I'm in the public sector so..." comments. Neither is one organisation treating everyone the same. Some private sector organisations pay no enhanced mat pay, some give you 6 months on full pay. Teacher mat pay is different to NHS etc.

I’m on maternity leave at the moment and it’s piss poor. I think I might have to go back early due to the rising costs of things. So upsetting

YANBU!

haven’t started TTC yet but thinking ahead, I’d always want the maximum time off in an ideal world as I’m sure everyone does with their DC. I now think only 9 possibly 10 months is stretchable, and my company’s maternity package is generous. Would notice a real dip in money after 7 months but could probably stretch it out for another couple beyond that.

Working women should be paid better than SMP especially if they’re intending to go back to work.

I guess some of you may be eligible for Universal credit whilst on maternity leave? It's always worth checking.

Don’t sell your car to have longer at home. You’ll want you car to get out with baby. Stuck at home for 12 months with no means to go anywhere and you’ll probably wish you’d gone back earlier.

@Babyroobs I agree it's definitely worth looking into universal credit if anyone is struggling and wanting a bit more time with their baby. I'm on mat leave and universal credit

Sorry, last post sent before I finished - I'm on maternity leave and universal credit and it's definitely helped take the pressure off.

In all honesty it should be way way down the priority list. I'm more interested in adequate support for people who have no other choice than to be reliant on benefits. I don't think most people would be in favour of paying more tax to support higher maternity payments.

Not in favour of funding your choice to have time off to have children...

@Nephthys21 can I ask whether universal credit disregard the first £100 of each weeks maternity pay for their income calculations. I remember it was this way when I had my last child(back when it was child tax credit etc) but can’t see anywhere to input this for UC even though Google is telling me it doesn’t take into account the first £100. Inputting an income of £600 a month SMP is obviously a lot more than £200 if it’s taken off. About to start ML and going down the UC route from the get go to try and take the pressure off. Thank you in advance!

Are you a teacher, OP? You can return to work in the holidays on full pay. I did it last year.

No I'm in an NHS admin role unfortunately

YANBU - our maternity / paternity leave and pay is astounding. We have the worst in Europe. It’s not rocket science, the government needs to invest in maternity leave and childcare fees.

Did you save for you ML?

*your

I earn less than £24k a year, I've barely been able to save for baby stuff. If I'd known 5 years ago that I'd meet someone and be able to get pregnant to a timescale then I would have thought about it but in all honesty just living takes up all my money

£150 a week doesn’t go far when inflation is at over 11%!

Its great they some employers pay a good enhanced maternity package but statutory is incredibly low! If you don’t have a partner who can financial support you by a large degree it’s unliveable. When the whole purpose is to allow you time off work to bond and raise a very young a baby that sort of falls flat when it’s not affordable for many.

YANBU I am on ML with DD2 and I'm constantly concerned about the cost of living and if I need to return sooner??? With ML now it is £156.66 a week?! When I had DD1 it was £140 roughly a week and that was 5 years ago! It wasn't mentioned today but it would be nice to know.