Question follow-through · 51659

Maternity Pay

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the level of statutory maternity pay.

answeredDepartment for Work and Pensions

About this written question

A written question asks a government minister for information in writing. Parliament publishes the question and any answer.

Answering body
Department for Work and Pensions
Tabled
12 May 2025
Target answer date
14 May 2025
Answer
19 May 2025 · 7 calendar days after tabling

Elapsed calendar days describe the record timeline, not whether Parliament considers an answer on time.

Votes on this topic

These Commons divisions share a topic label. The question did not necessarily lead to a vote.

Recorded timeline

  1. 12 May 2025

    Question tabled

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the level of statutory maternity pay.

  2. 14 May 2025

    Target answer date

    Date supplied by the official written-questions record.

  3. 19 May 2025

    Answer published

    Government spends approximately £3 billion a year on parental payments. When considering calls to increase the level of parental benefits, the Government must balance a range of factors including the needs of parents, the impact on employers, and affordab...

Open official record

Official data retrieved 28 Sept 2026.

Later records

Possible follow-up questions

Strong links require the same MP, department and exact heading. Other same-department questions are shown as unreviewed candidates, not as confirmed follow-ups. No debate link is asserted unless a stable source relationship exists.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Social Security Benefits: Veterans

19 Jun 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the (a) the Secretary of State for Defence and (b) Office for Veterans’ Affairs on the potential impact of welfare reform on former service personnel.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Employment Schemes: Veterans

19 Jun 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Spending Review 2025, published on 11 June 2025, what steps she is planning to take to ensure that the £1 billion investment in employment support specifically caters to the needs

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Social Security Benefits: Veterans

19 Jun 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that the reintroduction of face-to-face benefit assessments does not negatively impact veterans with (a) PTSD and (b) mobility impairments.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Social Security Benefits: Reform

26 Jun 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to (a) simplify the benefits system and (b) increase its accessibility for claimants.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Universal Credit: Disqualification

26 Jun 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the (a) efficacy of Universal Credit sanctions and (b) potential impact of those sanctions on claimants.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Social Security Benefits: Young People

26 Jun 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that under-25s are adequately supported by the benefits system.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Employment: Women

30 Jun 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to support unemployed women back in to work.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Pensioners: Poverty and Social Security Benefits

1 Jul 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to (a) reduce pensioner poverty and (b) increase pension benefit uptake.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Pensions: Surpluses

29 Aug 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department has had discussions with private pension schemes on ensuring that people who have made contributions to defined benefit private pensions are able to benefit from a pension surplus

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Pensions: Trusts

29 Aug 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions her Department has had with the Pensions Regulator on the effectiveness of the steps it is taking to ensure the independence of pensions trustee bodies.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Work Capability Assessment

15 Sept 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to reduce delays in Work Capability Assessments for existing claimants who have reported a deterioration in their health.

Unreviewed candidateSame MP and department; topic relationship is unreviewed

Work Capability Assessment

15 Sept 2025 · To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason his Department is prioritising Work Capability Assessments for new benefit claimants over reassessments.