At the same time, the cost of basic baby essentials has increased by 54.5% over the past decade, with nappies rising by 118.1%
A full-time working mother faces an average income shortfall of £15,892 during maternity leave, new research shows.
Mothers on statutory maternity leave get 90% of their average weekly earnings before tax for the first six weeks. After that, they drop to the statutory rate of £194.32 per week, or 90% of their average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, for the next 33 weeks.
The most recent report published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) puts the median UK full-time salary at £751 per week, which is £39,039 annually.
But new research from family lawyers HCB Widdows Mason points out that 90% of that baseline equals £675.90, but the capped statutory rate that they would get is £194.32 because it is lower.
This means for nearly four-fifths (84.6%) of their paid time off, working mothers miss out on a massive £481.58 every week – amounting to an overall income loss of £15,892.14 over the course of a standard maternity leave.
At the same time, the cost of basic baby essentials has increased by 54.5% over the past decade, with nappies rising by 118.1%.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows over half a million (585,396) newborns were welcomed into England and Wales last year. This was 1.6% less than the year before.
Lorraine Watts, a family law solicitor at HCB Widdows Mason, said: “The reality is that maternity leave exposes women to an acute financial vulnerability that many couples fail to anticipate.
“When you combine an income drop of nearly £16,000 with a 54% spike in baby essentials, it creates a high-pressure environment right at the start of a child’s life.
“We frequently see what happens when the financial strain becomes too heavy. If a relationship breaks down under these pressures, the financial realities can be devastating.
“Child maintenance calculations are legally designed to cover raw essentials, but they rarely reflect the actual cost of raising a child in today’s economic climate. This creates an imbalance, where the primary caregiver shoulders the long-term financial burden alone.
“Proactive financial planning and completely transparent conversations about money before having children are no longer optional. Couples need to treat the choice to have a child with the same preparation as buying a house or writing a will.
“Failing to map out who will bear the financial brunt of taking time out of the workforce leaves relationships structurally fragile from day one.”
