Petition · past parliament
To increase the SMP and SPP
Rejected
18 signatures
What the petition asks
I am currently about to start my maternity leave for my first child. I am married and live in social housing. It is a worry that we will struggle to financially to support our new baby and ourselves due to my maternity pay being considered as my full wages despite Statutory Maternity Pay being less
Working people should be entitled to either 6 months full pay and 6 months half pay, with this including new fathers as their role is equally as important as the mothers, especially in the first year. This will allow working families to maintain independence whilst being able to pay their rent and other bills. There is not enough financial support for working parents when they are expecting a child. No housing benefit, no universal credit. Things need to change to support working families.
Why it was rejected
There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.
Timeline
| 6 Jul 2016 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 18 Jul 2016 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
18
Status
Rejected
Rejected
18 Jul 2016
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.