Closed petition Increase Statutory Maternity Pay - 90% of Wages from 6 Weeks to 16 Weeks

Increasing time with a newborn in the first 4 months can boost bonding, support emotional/brain development, aid breastfeeding, reduce parental stress and postpartum depression risk. We think extending SMP at 90% gross wage to 16 weeks further enables parents to fully utilise this critical period.

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We urge the UK Government to extend Statutory Maternity Pay at 90% of a mother’s gross weekly wage from the current 6 weeks to 16 weeks. We believe this change would allow more families to spend essential early time with their newborns without facing immediate financial hardship, supporting child development, maternal mental health, and breastfeeding continuity.

This petition is closed All petitions run for 6 months

373 signatures

Progress of the petition towards its next target: 373 of 10,000 signatures required to get a government response

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10,000 signatures required to get a government response

Date closed 14 February 2026
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