Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateDepartment: Department for Work and Pensions
Sarah Dyke
Main Page: Sarah Dyke (Liberal Democrat - Glastonbury and Somerton)Department Debates - View all Sarah Dyke's debates with the Department for Work and Pensions
(1 day, 21 hours ago)
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Jacob Collier
I know that that is the experience of many parents, and I am sure that the Government will look at it as part of the review that they are undertaking.
Under the current arrangements, a mother or primary adopter can receive maternity pay for up to 39 weeks. For the first six weeks, that pay is 90% of average weekly earnings. For the following 33 weeks, it falls to a flat statutory rate, or 90% of earnings—whichever is lower. Statutory paternity pay lasts for two weeks at the same flat rate.
Sarah Dyke (Glastonbury and Somerton) (LD)
The current support for multiple birth families is inadequate. Samantha from Wincanton is a mother of twins, and after giving birth she received the same statutory maternity pay as a parent of one child, despite having to pay double for the cost of essential childcare equipment and so on. Does the hon. Member agree that there should be financial equality for parents of twins and that the Government’s forthcoming parental leave review must address that disparity?
Jacob Collier
The hon. Lady has highlighted an area that needs to be addressed.
One of the starkest, most glaring inequalities in the system is that dads who are self-employed or freelance are not eligible for anything. That is something that the Government should look at.