{ "format" : "linked-data-api", "version" : "0.2", "result" : {"_about" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?hansardHeading=Maternity+Allowance", "definition" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/meta/answeredquestions.text?hansardHeading=Maternity+Allowance", "extendedMetadataVersion" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?_metadata=all&hansardHeading=Maternity+Allowance", "first" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?_page=0&hansardHeading=Maternity+Allowance", "hasPart" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?hansardHeading=Maternity+Allowance", "isPartOf" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?hansardHeading=Maternity+Allowance", "items" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1645151", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1645151/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

No assessment has been made.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4142", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Guy Opperman"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hexham"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Guy Opperman"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-06-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-06-20T15:28:54.61Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-06-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Maternity Allowance"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of excluding maternity allowance from the benefits cap.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4822", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Feryal Clark"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Enfield North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Feryal Clark"} ], "uin" : "189907"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1624025", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1624025/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

The Lower Earnings Limit per week in the period of 6 July 2022 to 5 April 2023 was £123. Guidance on National Insurance contributions are published here.<\/a><\/p>

<\/p>

You can get Maternity Allowance for 39 weeks if in the 66 weeks before your baby is due, you have been employed or registered as self-employed for at least 26 weeks. Maternity Allowance eligibility is published here.<\/a><\/p>

<\/p>

Maternity Allowance data is published on a quarterly basis and includes data on employment status. The latest release is for June to August 2022. Maternity Allowance statistics for May 2022 was not published as planned due to a data production error. Thereby, data from the last 4 available quarters is reported in Table 1. This is taken from Table 7a of the Maternity Allowance quarterly statistics published here.<\/a><\/p>

<\/p>

Data specific to claimants earning below the Lower Earnings Limit is not available. The data in Table 1 refers to claimants on both the Maternity Allowance Standard Rate or Variable Rate.<\/p>

<\/p>

Table 1: Number of self-employed, unemployed, and other Maternity Allowance claimants over 4 quarters <\/strong><\/p>

<\/strong><\/p>

<\/p><\/td>

Self-employed claimants<\/p><\/td>

Unemployed and other claimants<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

June 2021 to August 2021<\/p><\/td>

6,900<\/p><\/td>

Negligible<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

September 2021 to November 2021<\/p><\/td>

5,880<\/p><\/td>

Negligible<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

December 2021 to February 2022<\/p><\/td>

4,860<\/p><\/td>

Negligible<\/p><\/td><\/tr>

June 2022 to August 2022<\/p><\/td>

5,740<\/p><\/td>

Negligible<\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>

<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4513", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mims Davies"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Mid Sussex"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mims Davies"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-05-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-05-09T16:22:33.223Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2023-04-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Maternity Allowance"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants of Maternity Allowance who earn below the lower earnings limit were (a) self-employed and (b) recently left employment in the last 12 months for which data is available.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1383", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mark Tami"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Alyn and Deeside"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Mark Tami"} ], "uin" : "182796"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1437846", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1437846/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

Statutory Maternity Payment caseload is a different measure to the number of grants of Maternity Allowance.<\/p>

<\/strong><\/p>

Both the number of women on the caseload for Statutory Maternity Pay and Maternity Allowance has decreased from 2016/17 to 2020/21. The reason for this has not been fully assessed.<\/p>

<\/p>

However, the date shows a larger decrease in the Maternity Allowance caseload, than the Statutory Maternity Pay caseload. A likely contributor to the fall is the decrease in the UK\u2019s total fertility rate<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4142", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Guy Opperman"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hexham"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Guy Opperman"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-03-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-03-08T15:54:53.593Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-03-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Maternity Allowance"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2022 to Question 125365 on Maternity Allowance, and with reference to the Benefit expenditure and caseload tables published by her Department, what assessment she has made of reasons for the absence of a decline in the Statutory Maternity Pay caseload over the period in which the number of grants of Maternity Allowance to employed women has fallen by 45 per cent.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4521", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Dwyfor Meirionnydd"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Liz Saville Roberts"} ], "uin" : "134067"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1435521", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1435521/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

This information has been published and can be found here:<\/p>

<\/p>

Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2021 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)<\/a><\/p>

<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4142", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Guy Opperman"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hexham"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Guy Opperman"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-03-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-03-07T15:11:47.407Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-02-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Maternity Allowance"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total value was of maternity allowance payments for people resident in (a) Scotland and (b) rest of the UK in each year since 2010.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4470", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Alan Brown"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kilmarnock and Loudoun"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Alan Brown"} ], "uin" : "129834"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1423000", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1423000/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

Fewer Maternity Allowance claims were started in the year up to 31 August 2021, compared to the year up to 31 May 2016. This decrease is particularly evident in claims by employed women. A likely contributor to this is the decrease in the UK\u2019s total fertility rate. This has fallen year-on-year from 1.92 in 2012, to 1.56 in 2020. Population projections continue to anticipate a decrease in 2021 and 2022.<\/p>

National population projections, fertility assumptions: 2020-based interim - Office for National Statistics<\/a> [Figure 2]

We will continue to monitor fertility rates, as well as changes in the employment status and income of the female population over time, which impact on the number of MA claims.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4142", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Guy Opperman"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hexham"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Guy Opperman"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-02-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-02-23T15:59:49.317Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-02-18", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Maternity Allowance"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 8 September 2021 to Question 42053 on Maternity Allowance, and with reference to Table 7 of the quarterly Maternity Allowance statistics published by her Department on 15 February 2022, if she will make an assessment of the reasons for the 45 per cent fall in the number of grants of Maternity Allowance to employed women between the four quarters ending on 31 May 2016, during which period there were 50,100 grants, and the four quarters ending on 31 August 2021, in which there were 27,480 grants.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4521", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Dwyfor Meirionnydd"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Liz Saville Roberts"} ], "uin" : "125365"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1420505", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1420505/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

No assessment has been made.<\/p>

<\/strong><\/p>

Maternity Allowance (MA) is not intended to replace a woman's earnings completely. Instead, it provides a measure of financial security to help pregnant working women take time off work for a reasonable period around the expected date of birth, to protect their own health and wellbeing and that of their baby. MA is a benefit paid by the State, which is treated as unearned income.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4142", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Guy Opperman"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hexham"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Guy Opperman"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-02-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-02-15T14:57:55.567Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-02-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Maternity Allowance"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of changes since 2010 in the relative value of the standard weekly rate of Maternity Allowance compared to (a) the adult rate of the National Living Wage and (b) women's median weekly earnings.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4602", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Wera Hobhouse"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Bath"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Wera Hobhouse"} ], "uin" : "119738"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1360287", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1360287/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

Entitlement to Maternity Allowance is determined by an employment and earnings test, designed to establish a recent connection to the labour market. PhD candidates, and students, can qualify for Maternity Allowance provided they meet the employment and earnings test. The Government currently has no plans to expand eligibility for Maternity Allowance.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4142", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Guy Opperman"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hexham"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Guy Opperman"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2021-10-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2021-10-25T14:17:44.373Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2021-10-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Maternity Allowance"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to expand the groups of people eligible for Maternity Allowance to support them while taking time off to have a baby to include (a) PhD candidates and (b) other students; and if she will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3930", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Caroline Lucas"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Brighton, Pavilion"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Caroline Lucas"} ], "uin" : "56957"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1352683", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1352683/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "

No assessment has been made. However, any change will be contributed to by the total fertility rate, which has decreased in recent years.<\/p>