Extend maternity leave by 3 months with pay in light of COVID-19
This petition gathered 238,884 signatures between 20 April 2020 and 20 October 2020, according to the Parliament petitions site. The Government responded on 14 May 2020. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 5 October 2020.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Extend maternity leave by 3 months with pay in light of COVID-19
In light of the recent outbreak and lock down, those on maternity leave should be given 3 extra months paid leave, at least. This time is for bonding and social engaging with other parents and babies through baby groups which are vital for development and now everything has been cancelled.
These groups are vital for baby development, bonding and educating both babies and parents. Given that the government have closed down many areas of the community new parents and babies are confined to their homes with no social interaction which will ultimately impact on the development of children.
We are calling on Boris Johnson and the government to extend paid maternity leave by an additional 3 months, at least to allow for this development and bonding to take place.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 14 May 2020. Its summary:
The UK’s Maternity Leave offer is already amongst the most generous in the World – up to 52 weeks of leave are available, 39 weeks of which are paid – and we currently have no plans to extend it.
The response in full:
During this difficult time for the country, we recognise the disruption the necessary actions are having on people’s lives, their businesses, their jobs and the nation’s economy
That is why the Government has put in place unprecedented support for public services, workers and businesses to protect against the current economic emergency. This includes the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme that helps protect people’s jobs and helps employers to still provide important benefits such as enhanced contractual maternity pay.
We have made regulations to ensure women will not lose out on Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) should they be affected by a period of furlough pay. The regulations require employers to calculate SMP on normal earnings rather than reduced pay. It is also possible for employers to offer furlough pay at the end of a woman’s maternity leave and pay period, in effect extending the period a woman is away from work.
We understand that the social distancing measures mean that there are limited opportunities for parents to participate in activities normally available, such as parent and baby groups or introducing their newborn to family friends. This is regrettable but necessary to help safeguard the health of individuals, including other new mothers and babies.
Maternity Leave and Pay are provided to enable employed women to take time off work in the later stages of their pregnancy and after they have given birth. In addition, the UK’s Maternity Leave offer is already amongst the most generous in the world, with up to 52 weeks leave available and 39 weeks of pay. Therefore, we currently have no plans to extend Maternity Leave.
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 654, came from Upper Bann.
238,439 of the signatures were from the UK and 445 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Upper Bann | 654 |
| Belfast East | 638 |
| Lagan Valley | 633 |
| Rutherglen and Hamilton West | 631 |
| South West Bedfordshire | 614 |
| East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow | 572 |
| Dartford | 561 |
| Bassetlaw | 554 |
| Bristol South | 551 |
| Kingswood | 550 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| South East | 31,349 |
| North West | 28,741 |
| London | 22,213 |
| East of England | 21,651 |
| Scotland | 19,479 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 18,398 |
| South West | 18,146 |
| West Midlands | 17,934 |
| East Midlands | 15,963 |
| Wales | 14,060 |
| North East | 9,588 |
| Northern Ireland | 8,499 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 5 October 2020. Read the debate in Hansard.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/306691.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
aa60e3f43de1e292… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.