It felt like a gut punch last month when the shadow communities secretary and newly appointed Tory party leader Kemi Badenoch called maternity pay “excessive” and that new mothers “need to take more personal responsibility.” In reality, statutory maternity pay in the UK is only £184 per week for new mums, once their baby turns 6 weeks old.

In the short time since Badenoch shared her views, the UK has been found to have a declining birth rate, falling at a faster rate than any other G7 country in more than ten years. And brand new research from charity Pregnant Then Screwed found that 43% of new mothers took only 12 weeks or less in maternity leave, because they couldn't afford to not go back to work. A shocking 76% of new mums have had to rely on savings or go into debt to care for their newborn.

So what is going on with maternity pay in the UK? We’re exploring how low maternity pay is pricing women out of motherhood.

The impact of maternity pay on women’s careers and finances

“Maternity pay is an abomination, it is far from excessive,” Joeli Brearley, CEO and founder of Pregnant Then Screwed tells AllBright. “How is anyone meant to survive on £184 a week, which is less than half the minimum wage – the lowest amount someone can live on?”

Millions of women in the UK, rely on statutory maternity pay rather than receiving enhanced maternity pay from their employers, for many reasons – they may not be eligible if they haven’t worked at their organisation long enough, or their employer may not offer it at all. Recent research found that 2.5 million UK women in the private sector are missing out on enhanced maternity pay. So for these new mothers, statutory pay is the only support they receive.

“Statutory maternity pay is currently a shocking 43% of the national living wage, causing many families to experience financial hardship as a result of taking time out of work when they have given birth,” said Brearley. “As a result, unsurprisingly, our research showed that 4 in 10 mothers are having to cut their maternity leave short.”

In addition to financial difficulties new mothers experience during such a vulnerable time, they’re also out of the workforce for several months to a year, which can stunt their earnings and career progression for the rest of their lives, known as the motherhood penalty.

“It is a false economy to not pay parental leave at a rate on which families can survive and thrive. The birth rate is at a ten year low. We're running out of babies because people do not feel confident that they can afford to be a mother today in the UK,” said Brearley.

The lived experience of maternity pay in the UK

Laura Morgan, a development manager in the gaming industry in Wolverhampton, gave birth in 2023. “My maternity pay was only 11 weeks full pay and due to being on maternity leave, I also was removed from receiving my bonus for the year,” she tells AllBright. 

Laura had a difficult labour experience resulting in an emergency c-section, and she was recovering from her surgery for half of her maternity leave.

“I hated it! A time I should have enjoyed was marred by the countdown of my impending return back to work. I have great guilt about how quickly I returned to work and it has definitely affected my view on having more children,” she said.

In addition to her challenges with childbirth and recovery, raising a new baby and navigating postpartum, Laura also had to make the tough choice to return back to work after less than three months, due to financial pressures.

“I was conflicted with my decision and wanted to have more time off to bond with my child. I was, however, also aware of the upcoming childcare costs, my mortgage was due for renewal, with not many options at my disposal,” she said.

New mums need more support

In order for new mothers, and women who want to become mothers, to comfortably support their baby, they need more help, and not just financially.

“Mothers need flexible working to be able to navigate nursery and school opening and closing times. We need to support dads and mums in the workplace, by creating equality with parental leave from the get-go,” said Brearley.

“More support needs to be given at all stages from the moment your pregnancy is announced. More options for childcare, as well as the ability to extend maternity leave is paramount. And more support to also enhance paternity and parental leave for partners would also help give further support to mothers,” said Laura.

Here’s three ways to help women, new mothers and their families receive the maternity support they need:

1. Contact your MP to let them know maternity pay is an issue you care about. The new government’s Plan to Make Work Pay promises to improve support for working parents, but without clear guidelines to increase statutory maternity pay and introduce extended parental and paternity pay, the government’s plan doesn’t go far enough.

2. Advocate for stronger parental leave policies from your employer. In addition to pay, speak with your colleagues, HR and leadership team to make the existing policies known to all employees and lobby for increased flexibility and measures to counter maternity discrimination.

3. Listen to mothers to understand their maternity experiences, at work and everywhere else. Each woman’s experience is unique and the more these stories are told, heard, listened to and shared, the sooner positive change can come.