We’ve long known that maternity leave is far from the ‘holiday’ it can be portrayed as. Not only are many new mothers contending with a lack of sleep while trying to physically recover from a huge bodily change, but the truth is that the support on offer, both financially and emotionally, frequently falls short of what’s required.

Maternity leave packages are often so poor that data suggests that three in four mothers return to work earlier than planned due to the financial impact, and this is supported by new research from Resume.io’s UK Parental Support Index.

Currently, employers aren’t legally required to pay your full salary for any amount of maternity leave. Some businesses offer enhanced maternity benefits, but most people in the UK only receive statutory maternity pay (SMP) for up to 39 weeks. The first six weeks are paid at 90% of your pre-tax average weekly earnings. After that, you’ll receive £187.18 a week, out of which you’ll still have to make tax and national insurance contributions.

However, the new analysis calculated the maternity leave gap as it relates to essential household bills during a cost of living crisis, highlighting the sectors that are failing women by not providing adequate maternity packages.

Statutory maternity pay in the UK is leaving women with an average shortfall of £6,230 a year