To think the amount of SMP is entirely unreasonable?

[SMPWTF]

I knew the amount prior to TTC but only now at 6 months pregnant is it actually registering.

£184 a week, and it’s taxed. If it weren’t taxed the amount would be £736 for a 4 week month.

How is this even close to enough?

DH and I earn similarly, respected careers but we’ll never be millionaires. Our household bills for our small semi-detached home are just over one of our whole salaries.

I understand that in the ideal you’d save up for maternity leave, but in practice that’s difficult for most people. The start up costs for preparing for baby are very expensive. We have been lucky to have been gifted a lot of big ticket items but even so the costs still add up fast. I can’t imagine even trying to save anything for a second maternity leave if you’re paying childcare fees for your toddler - probably one of the reasons we’ll be one and done.

I don’t think working people should have to save for years per child they have. Nor do I think people should only have children if they can afford to live on one income, because then we create a society where only either end of the wealth spectrum find themselves in a position to start and grow families.

No wonder couples are having fewer or no children.

Why can’t women be paid at least 50% of their wage? So many companies offer 6-12 months full sick pay, so why are so many still reluctant to meet this offer for parental leave?

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.

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.

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

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?

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.

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

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.

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?!

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.

My heart bleeds.

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

I want to take 12 months off to go bumming it around the world. Pretty sure work wouldn't pay for that.

It is a lifestyle choice, not a right, to have a baby. You need to plan for it, the way you would plan if you wanted to bum round the world for 12 months.

Why should women who choose not to have babies pay for someone else's lifestyle choice who has chosen to have them?

I have two children a year apart. Would have loved to have had more, but couldn't afford it. Also can't afford to bum around the world for a year. You get the idea! Life isn't fair. Suck it up. Make some sacrifices and start saving. Really not that difficult. You don't have to have children, it's not mandatory!!!

Loads more???? It’s about £50 a week more lol. That’s is not loads more.

Maximum stage pension after 35 years is £220 a week.

And if you're self employed you really get salt rubbed into the wounds by the fact that employed women can go and get extra money from being self employed whilst we are stuck on maternity allowance 😑

I think it's a fair amount.

You get the best part of 9 months to save for maternity leave.

Plus there is also CHB (if you qualify).

It’s 27% more, so yes, loads more, combined with the fact the majority of people claiming state pension either have no mortgage or receive pension top up benefits to help with rent if their private provision doesn’t cover it.

27% more of a shitty amount doesn’t make it loads more, it’s still shit.

When DT’s were born, maternity leave was a maximum of six months. DT’s went to full time nursery at six months. They weren’t forced there - I wanted to go back to my career. We saved up pre maternity leave and then had to pay for two full time places at nursery.

Although I had a good maternity package, we didn’t rely on it as we had saved to cover my loss of salary.

Who do you think should pay for a higher level of SMP?

Not to mention it takes 35 years of paying in to it to get it.

You may get a tax refund OP depending on your earnings versus the tax year and the baby's birth.

What's galling is Maternity Allowance. It's Statutory, minus the six weeks at 90%.

I joined a new job already pregnant due to unexpected timing. Because of a small gap in employment, in spite of being a net contributor, boom, all gone.

I felt the same, OP. Then when it came to returning to work and I realised as a family we would have less net income after paying for nursery and travel costs to work, than when on the SMP only part of maternity leave it was a big wake up call.
(This is not a call out to not go back to work after maternity leave - for career progression, financial resilience, parity, pensions I personally think it important to stay in work where possible).
I think maternity and paternity pay and nursery costs should absolutely be reviewed and state subsidies increased.

I don't disagree but who should pay for it? As an owner of a small business, if I had to pay, I couldn't afford to hire women who were likely to have children - that wouldn't be great for women. If the government, what should be cut - health, education, free nursery hours?

It is for this reason that more men should take paternity leave. This would mean less discrimination of young women. I’m not criticising your comment, as I owned a small business too and get your point. However, as a country we need to follow the Scandinavian approach to these topics.

I truly believe that women and their babies should receive something like a universal income for the first year. I have no idea how it would be paid for but as a society we have to start making women a priority when the budgets are reviewed. Perhaps we don’t need another air craft carrier?

I think you’re unreasonable to bring up expensive start up costs of having a baby. Those are entirely your choice and you don’t need the ‘big ticket items’.

Add the child benefit in too.