Source · Select Committees · Petitions Committee
First Report: The impact of Covid-19 on maternity and parental leave
Petitions Committee
HC 526
Published 6 July 2020
Recommendations
2
Rejected
Para 17
As a matter of urgency the Government should consider whether Maternity Allowance should be considered...
Recommendation
As a matter of urgency the Government should consider whether Maternity Allowance should be considered as earnings in the same way as Statutory Maternity Pay and should not lead to deductions from Universal Credit.
Government Response Summary
The government rejects changing the treatment of Maternity Allowance within Universal Credit, explaining it is considered unearned income and thus deducted pound-for-pound, unlike Statutory Maternity Pay which is treated as earnings.
3
Rejected
Parental leave and pay are not unique in having different provisions for employed and self-employed...
Recommendation
Parental leave and pay are not unique in having different provisions for employed and self-employed people, and this is just one area of a complex benefit system. It is however apparent that many of the inequalities are not a reflection …
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Government Response Summary
The government implicitly rejects equalising benefits for self-employed adoptive parents, explaining existing different provisions and discretionary local authority payments. For special guardians, it defers action, stating it has consulted on parental leave reforms and will respond in due course.
7
Rejected
Para 35
In addition to the immediate financial consequences for pregnant women of being put on Statutory...
Recommendation
In addition to the immediate financial consequences for pregnant women of being put on Statutory Sick Pay or unpaid leave—often when they should have been suspended on full pay—in many cases the loss of income that results can also mean …
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Government Response Summary
The government rejects the recommendation to amend Statutory Maternity Pay calculations to disregard lower income periods from Statutory Sick Pay or unpaid leave, stating that while adjustments were made for furlough, SSP is not a new situation and there are no plans to change its treatment in SMP calculations.
9
Rejected
Para 40
The Government’s decision to reject the request to extend maternity leave has been hugely disappointing...
Recommendation
The Government’s decision to reject the request to extend maternity leave has been hugely disappointing to the hundreds of thousands of people who have signed this petition. In these extraordinary circumstances, where the Government has taken exceptional action to support …
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Government Response Summary
The government rejects the recommendation to extend parental leave and pay, citing the significant cost to the Exchequer and the additional burden on businesses at a challenging time.
13
Rejected
Free dental care is an important benefit that most pregnant and new mothers have been...
Recommendation
Free dental care is an important benefit that most pregnant and new mothers have been unable to access as the result of the pandemic. The Government should extend maternity dentist provision for new and expectant mothers affected by the pandemic …
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Government Response Summary
The government rejects extending free maternity dental provision for new and expectant mothers, stating it has no plans to extend existing charge exemptions at this time, while noting routine dentistry has restarted.
15
Rejected
Para 80
Adoptive parents and their children have faced uniquely challenging situations without the access to the...
Recommendation
Adoptive parents and their children have faced uniquely challenging situations without the access to the professional and informal support that they need. These children are among the most vulnerable in society. In the most serious situations, we’ve heard that the …
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Government Response Summary
The government rejected the recommendation to extend adoption leave and pay, stating that existing entitlements of 52 weeks leave and 39 weeks pay, along with other flexible working options, are already generous and sufficient for new parents.
16
Rejected
Para 81
The Government’s response to this inquiry so far has not addressed the immediate situation faced...
Recommendation
The Government’s response to this inquiry so far has not addressed the immediate situation faced by self-employed adoptive parents as a result of Covid-19. A future review, although welcome, may not come in time for this cohort of parents and …
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Government Response Summary
The government rejects the recommendation to equalise benefits for self-employed adoptive parents, explaining that maternity entitlements have health and safety considerations for birth mothers that do not apply to adopters. It notes that local authorities can already consider discretionary, means-tested payments.
18
Rejected
Para 92
We welcome the Government’s recognition that special neonatal leave and pay should be introduced for...
Recommendation
We welcome the Government’s recognition that special neonatal leave and pay should be introduced for all parents who find themselves in this situation. The Government plans to include provisions in its forthcoming Employment Bill to introduce this reform in 2023. …
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Government Response Summary
The government rejects piloting neonatal leave and pay for those affected by Covid-19, explaining that such a pilot would still require complex legislation and IT systems and would not be delivered any sooner than the planned full entitlement in 2023.