The government has published the proposed statutory rates for maternity pay, paternity pay, shared parental pay, adoption pay and sick pay from April 2020.
Example family-friendly policies
The current weekly rate of statutory maternity pay is £148.68, or 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings if this figure is less than the statutory rate.
The rate of statutory maternity pay is expected to rise to £151.20 from April 2020. The increase normally occurs on the first Sunday in April, which in 2020 is 5 April.
Also on 5 April 2020, the rates of statutory paternity pay and statutory shared parental pay is expected to go up from £148.68 to £151.20 (or 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings if this figure is less than the statutory rate).
The rate of statutory adoption pay increases from £148.68 to £151.20.
This would mean that, from 5 April 2020, statutory adoption pay is payable at 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings for the first six weeks, with the remainder of the adoption pay period at the rate of £151.20, or 90% of average weekly earnings if this is less than £151.20.
The rates normally increase each April in line with the consumer price index (CPI).
Stephen Simpson, principal employment law editor at XpertHR, said: “Employers may have been concerned that the publication of these rates could have been delayed because the government has been busy with the general election and Brexit.
“It is good news for employers that the April 2020 rates have still been published well in advance, which will help HR professionals to plan their budgets for 2020/21, and to prepare amendments to their policies and other documentation on family-friendly benefits for April.”
Example sickness absence policies
The rate of statutory sick pay is also proposed to increase from £94.25 to £95.85 on 6 April 2020.
To be entitled to these statutory payments, the employee’s average earnings must be equal to or more than the lower earnings limit.
However, the lower earnings limit from April 2020 has not yet been published.
15 comments
Im wondering if anyone in government tried to live on those rates. Maybe they should try?
It is absolutely outrageous! People can barely survive on these rates.
im expected to lve on £13,12p per day ssp £94.25 per week
my rent is £475pm and council tax is £130 pm so how im expected to live off this and buy food is behond me
you dont get any grace off your landlord as he still wants his rent
i think the minimum rate ssp should be at least £150 to £160 per week still peanuts
but a little better than the current rate thats on offer
this is why were having a lot of homeless people on the streets as you just cant live
Advice that may help the whole country. Only have a child if you can afford one!
Yes the statutory maternity pay is pitiful, but please remember, this is a choice we make and we shouldn’t always rely on other people to bail us out, especially not our government.
and why should anyone be penalised for wanting to do the most natural thing a human can do? its literally our only purpose on this earth. Good grief. Fair enough if you’re on baby number 3 & more but for 1 or 2 children it should not be difficult.
Well said I have 2 children 5 year old and 4 month old
everyone gets Ill. Statutory sick pay wouldnt even cover my rent. It’s not enough to live on. We pay into a system so why shoukdnt we get out of it when we work hard pay into the economy and pay no and tax? Maternity pay is there for a reason and it’s important people live on it. Having a baby is an ethical decision and it’s not a choice its guided by the individual persons ethos.
I decided to have a baby and me and my partner could afford it. Then I got a debilitating illness when pregnant and had to go on sick leave for 6 months of my pregnancy, meaning I no longer could afford to have a baby as I’m living off £400 a month and have no way of saving up for maternity leave. What do you expect me to do in this circumstance? Stupid comment.
If people don’t have children, who will support us in our old age?
Then this will fall on the goverment to local authorities for care. Costing considerably more.
Unfortunately in UK rates of Statutory Sick Pay is the lowest in Europe . Is impossible to live normally on £94 weekly and there is no pay for first 3 days of sickness. Statutory Maternity Pay is also low especially if someone earn quite good before going to SMP. Child Benefit is a joke £20/ weekly is not enough for nappies for a week. For second or third baby is £15… Why so low? Next baby has less need according to goverment? UK is really behind than other countries.
everyone gets Ill. Statutory sick pay wouldnt even cover my rent. It’s not enough to live on. We pay into a system so why shouldnt we get out of it when we work hard pay into the economy and pay NI and taxes? Maternity pay is there for a reason and it’s important people can live on it. Having a baby is an ethical decision and it’s not a choice its guided by the individual persons ethos and therefore is down to the individual if they are able to terminate a pregnancy and should not be forced because people are selfish.
The comments on this are so amusing. People don’t seem to grasp either personal responsibility nor employment contract law. You would have approximately 9 months from realising you may require statutory pay to actually being eligible for it. Prior planning and preparation prevents a piss poor performance.. How about you a) negotiate a workable employment contract b) save for your own future c) stop expecting the state to do everything for you d) all of the above.
You aren’t supposed to live on it the tax payer funded benefit is a hand up not a hand out!
Get a grip. Old enough to have children old enough to manage your own life.
@Matthew Desmond
What about if your manager does not even reply to your question “What is the maternity policy of the company?” I have sent him an email 3 times.
You also forget that there are medical conditions that do not allow you to do an abortion. Accidents also happen and having a child is not always a choice.
As an accountant I could never agree and still opposing the tax law, which allows directors of Ltd companies, small or large declare in the accounts only minimum salary on which they don’t pay tax and NIC. For the current year is £8,632 which entitles them to have qualifying year counted towards the pension.
During the working life they don’t contribute to any benefits and NHS but is perfectly fine to use NHS, claim SSP, SMP and pension when they need this.
Until the current law on this change there are very small chance that rates of state pension, SSP and SMP will change in the future.