Rejected petition Increase Statutory Maternity Pay & Maternity Allowance to full time living wage

Rejected on 1 July 2021

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is at £151. 20 a week, which is not enough to meet the cost of life in the UK , especially not london let alone the added cost of a baby. This financial vulnerability puts mothers and children at risk of abuse amd illness.

The early years are a vulnerable time when children’s experiences and environments can negatively influence their development.

Growing up in poverty has a long lasting impact on children's development, school attainment and health. Children in more deprived areas are more likely to face a serious illness during childhood and to have a long-term disability. The current SMP puts an added strain on families and leaves single mothers in disasterous situations.

Why was this petition rejected?

It’s not clear what the petition is asking the UK Government or Parliament to do.

Petitions need to call on the Government or Parliament to take a specific action.

We understand that you want Statutory Maternity Pay and Maternity Allowance to be increased, but we're not sure how much you want it to be increased by, as there is no set definition of a full-time living wage. The Government sets national minimum wages, but these only apply to hourly wages.

You could start a new petition explaining clearly what you would like the Government or Parliament to do.

We have published the following petitions, which you might like to sign:

Enhance maternity leave to be at full pay for 6 months: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/573965

Increase Maternity/Shared Parental pay in line with National Living Wage: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/583847

We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.