Written question asked by Claire Hanna (Social Democratic & Labour Party) on Tuesday, 17 June 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 19 June 2025. It was answered by Stephen Timms (Labour) on Wednesday, 25 June 2025 on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
Maternity Allowance: Universal Credit
- Question
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To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the report by Maternity Action, entitled Pushed into Poverty, published in May 2025, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the recommendation on £7.99 million model costing for maternity allowance to be treated as earned income by Universal Credit on women in low income jobs.
- Answer
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No assessment is planned.
Universal Credit treats Maternity Allowance in the same way as legacy means-tested benefits, such as Income Support or Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance, in that it is taken fully into account. Whilst we keep all policies under review, we have no plans to review how Maternity Allowance is taken into account in UC.
Maternity pay is primarily designed as a health and safety provision for pregnant working women. We want new mothers to be able to take time away from work in the later stages of their pregnancy and following childbirth, if they wish, for their own health and wellbeing.
Secondary information
- Type
- Written question
- Reference
- 60535
- Session
- 2024-26
- Subjects
- Costs Earned income Low incomes Universal credit Maternity allowance
- Link
- View this Written question on www.parliament.uk
Librarians' tools
- Timestamp
- 2025-09-05 23:28:07 +0100
- URI
- http://data.parliament.uk/writtenparliamentaryquestion/commons/2024-25/60535
- In Indexing
- http://indexing.parliament.uk/Content/Edit/1?uri=http://data.parliament.uk/writtenparliamentaryquestion/commons/2024-25/60535
- In Solr
- https://search.parliament.uk/claw/solr/?id=http://data.parliament.uk/writtenparliamentaryquestion/commons/2024-25/60535