Latest news with #maternitypay
The Independent
16-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
‘I had to borrow money from friends and family during my maternity leave – I felt ashamed and humiliated'
New mothers have been left feeling 'ashamed and humiliated' after having to borrow thousands of pounds in order to finance their maternity leave. Campaigners are warning that at just £187.18 a week, statutory maternity pay and maternity allowance are pushing mothers into poverty. New mothers have reported going without meals and spiralling into debt because of low maternity pay, as a survey by Maternity Action found over half had resorted to credit cards, loans or borrowing from family to finance their leave. One in four of the 1,176 pregnant women and new mothers surveyed said they had borrowed between £2,000 to £4,000, whilst 23 per cent said they had borrowed more than £4,000. Laura, 39, found herself having to borrow £6,000 from her family to help pay her bills and for food after having her second child. The charity director, who did not want to include her second name, told The Independent how she was forced to return to work early as she could no longer afford to provide for her children on her maternity pay. 'By about five months we were really starting to feel the pinch so I ended up going back to work full time after seven months,' she said. 'I don't think I was really emotionally ready to do that. It was difficult for me and it was difficult for my baby. 'I was still breastfeeding so I was going into work with engorged breasts and I'm a manager so I didn't want to be sneaking off and expressing milk halfway through a meeting. There was that pressure and anxiety and I was really tired as I wasn't sleeping properly.' She described having to shop more carefully and said almost every new mother she met had had to borrow money from elsewhere. 'There's a certain amount of shame and humiliation. I've been working for 20 years and my job is not paid badly, but I'm now forced into a position where I actually am in poverty and that carries shame,' she said. 'There's just this embarrassment of having to essentially admit you're not succeeding at something. It feels like you're failing to be able to provide. 'When you're a mum it's already a very emotionally difficult time, so psychologically it damages people's confidence which means you're wellbeing is compromised which can damage your baby.' The allowance is worth just 44 per cent of the standard weekly National Living Wage and less than a third of women's full time average earnings. Maternity Action say this means that an average earning new mother could lose more than £17,000 over nine month's leave. In fact, the report found that 57 per cent had cut their maternity leave short, or are planning to, because they can't afford it. 'Our system of maternity leave is vastly outdated, with an expectation that a mother will be supported by another higher breadwinner, and dangerously out of touch with today's reality that women are often the main or higher earner in the household,' Ali Fiddy, director at Maternity Action, said. 'Our critically low level of maternity pay is pushing pregnant women and new mothers into debt and poverty with implications for the Government's pledges for closing the gender pay gap, making work pay for women, tackling child poverty and improving maternal and infant health.' Half of those surveyed also said they had to buy less healthy food due to high costs, as 38 per cent said they ate smaller meals or skipped meals entirely for cost reasons. A quarter went without food themselves to priorities feeding their children and the majority said they had to reduce the number of hours they put the heating on. Ms Fiddy added: 'If it wants to deliver its pledges on these issues, the government must consider the provision of more adequate maternity pay as part of its forthcoming review of Shared Parental Leave. 'Long-term, the chancellor should implement a programme of phased investment that delivers parity between maternity payments and the standard weekly National Living Wage. 'In the shorter-term the government should aim to at least restore payments to their 2012 pre-austerity level of around two-thirds of the National Living Wage, which financial modelling has shown is achievable.'
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
How inadequate maternity leave harms mothers' wellbeing
Returning to work after having a baby isn't easy. On the one hand, the opportunity to gain some independence and earn money may be a welcome change after the routine of night feeds and nappies. On the other, looking after a baby while getting back into the swing of work can be overwhelming — especially if you don't feel ready. One mother, Laura from North Yorkshire, had to return to work after three months because she couldn't afford her mortgage repayments while on low maternity pay. 'I feel guilty because I've had to miss out on bonding time with my child,' she says. 'There has been no time to recover from pregnancy or the birth. I'm tired and stressed, but I have no choice.' Around 40% of mothers are forced to go back to work within four months of having a baby because they simply can't afford to stop working for longer, according to data from Pregnant then Screwed. Both statutory maternity pay, aimed at employed women, and maternity allowance — for those who are self-employed — are now worth less than half of the weekly National Living Wage. Amid the rising cost of living, many new mums are missing out on meals because they can't afford food. Read more: How to speak to your boss about a women's health issue For many, the only option is to head back to work sooner than they would like. Yet cutting short the important postnatal period can have a detrimental effect on the mental and physical health of new mothers. 'Societal expectations on women often infer that they should be 'recovered' from pregnancy and childbirth by six weeks after a baby's arrival, when in reality the physical, hormonal, and psychological shifts resulting from pregnancy, childbirth, and caring for a new baby take anywhere from six to 18 months to settle down,' says Dr Hannah Nearney, consultant psychiatrist and UK medical director at Flow Neuroscience. When you factor in sleep deprivation, the constant demands of feeding, the mental load of caring for a newborn, and the struggle to secure reliable childcare, the reality is that it can take even longer to adjust. 'It becomes quickly apparent that returning to work too soon after maternity leave can result in enormous additional external stress for women and their whole family system,' says Nearney. The postpartum period isn't just about giving mums time to care for a new baby — it's a time for recovery and adjustment. Pregnancy and childbirth exact a physical and psychological toll on women, who may be healing from a traumatic birth or recovering from major surgery after a caesarean. On top of that, they're adjusting to life as a new parent; not just the sleepless nights, but also the profound shift in their sense of identity. When women are able to take adequately paid maternity leave, it can have a protective effect on their mental health. A systematic review of 45 studies, published in The Lancet in 2023, found that taking longer leave is associated with reduced risk of depression, distress and burnout among mothers. But when financial circumstances force women back to work before they're ready, the psychological, emotional and physical effects can be far-reaching. 'There's often a profound sense of guilt and shame twinned with the overwhelm they experience linked to a sense of personal failure, both at home and at work,' says psychotherapist Alex Iga Golabek. 'Mothers I have worked with who are in this situation often fear that they are the main reason why the child's wellbeing may be affected, and conclude that they're 'not a good enough parent' when, in reality, the system they're a part of lacks adequate support measures." Read more: Could child-friendly co-working spaces fix the childcare crisis? The guilt women experience can be twofold. They may feel like they're failing their child, but they're also unlikely to feel like they're able to work to the best of their abilities. Out of 1,000 mothers surveyed by Tena, 31% said they found it harder than expected to return to their job after 10 months' maternity leave — let alone just a few weeks. Lucy Kemp, a future of work expert and employee experience expert, says there can be a constant sense of not doing anything properly, at home or at work. 'That's not a sustainable way to work, and it's certainly not how you retain brilliant women in your business,' she says. It's also important to note that the reasons for returning to work too early can be complex. Money may be the main reason, but counselling psychologist Dr Nivedita Nayak adds that there is additional societal pressure for women to seamlessly juggle multiple roles as mothers, professionals and more. 'While the economic necessity, especially for the self-employed, is undeniable and frankly a societal failing, I also believe there's a less visible layer of performative motherhood at play,' says Nayak. 'Women might feel pressured to project an image of coping and competence, minimising their struggles to avoid appearing less dedicated to either their career or their family. Read more: How 'mum brain' stigma is holding women back at work 'This internal pressure, though rarely discussed openly, can be incredibly damaging. Also, this pressure is amplified by subtle societal narratives that still often frame the ideal mother as effortlessly balancing all roles.' Inadequate maternity pay and the pressure to return to work to "prove" your worth reflect deep-rooted, harmful narratives that devalue motherhood as a legitimate and meaningful role. These expectations send a message that caregiving is secondary to paid labour, forcing many women to choose between financial stability and their own recovery and bonding time with their child. A complete overhaul of the maternity system is essential, alongside a fundamental shift in how society values and supports mothers. 'Employers should better support mothers during and after maternity leave - and can start by actually listening to what mothers need,' says Kemp. 'Enhanced maternity pay is a game changer. So is proper handover support, phased returns, coaching, and flexibility that works in real life, not just on paper. 'And it shouldn't stop the moment someone returns. Employers should be checking in regularly, making sure progression doesn't stall, and offering support without making it feel like a favour.' Read more: Five questions you shouldn't be asked in a job interview How to manage 'time blindness' at work if you have ADHD Can body doubling make us more productive at work?Sign in to access your portfolio
