Kemi Badenoch stated that maternity pay is excessive, arguing that taxpayer-funded maternity pay draws from working individuals to support others, reflecting concerns about business sustainability in the UK.
Statutory maternity pay was introduced in the UK in 1987, providing new mothers with 90% of their average weekly earnings for the first six weeks, followed by a lower fixed amount for an additional 33 weeks.
Campaigners highlight that although UK mothers can take longer paid leave compared to OECD averages, the actual payment rate is less than in many other countries that provide better benefits.
Alex Veitch noted that the issue of maternity pay has not been raised as a major concern, despite discussions around the sufficiency of the current payment levels.
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