Call to double maternity pay amid fears mothers are skipping meals

The Government is being urged to double maternity pay so mothers are not forced back to work too early.

Unison and Maternity Action said the statutory weekly amount should be increased to £364.70.

Both organisations voiced concern that some women are cutting short their maternity leave, skipping meals and making other “drastic” choices because they cannot afford to live on the current statutory weekly amount.

Women should receive the equivalent of the national minimum wage of £10.42 an hour, ministers were told.

A recent survey by Maternity Action on behalf of Unison showed that a quarter of women on maternity leave say they have gone without eating – sometimes all day – so they can afford to feed their families.

The survey of 1,400 mothers in the UK who had taken maternity leave found that half said they were buying less-healthy food to save money and more than a third were skipping meals or having smaller portions.

Statutory Maternity Pay is available for up to 39 weeks and is 90% of the mother’s average weekly earnings before tax for the first six weeks and then the lower amount of either £172.48 or 90% of their average weekly earnings for the next 33 weeks.

Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Everyone is feeling the impact of escalating living costs, but it’s hitting new mums particularly hard.

“No mother should have to go without food or skip meals but the failure of maternity pay to keep up with increasing living costs is driving many pregnant workers and new mothers into severe financial hardship.

“The Government is effectively forcing many women to choose between work and family.

“They must raise maternity leave pay to ensure no one is penalised for having a baby.”

Maternity Action director Ros Bragg said: “Mothers shouldn’t be forced to cut short their maternity leave because they can’t make ends meet.

“This is an important time for women to recover from the birth and bond with their baby.

“Women should be reducing their stress levels during pregnancy and their child’s first year, not worrying about how to pay for essentials.

“Stress during pregnancy puts women at increased risk of post-natal depression and other mental health conditions.

“The Government should be supporting pregnant women and new mothers to live healthy lives, not leaving them struggling to keep their house warm and eat a balanced diet.”