Category: cost of living

Survey reveals impact on families of low maternity pay

The cost of living crisis is affecting women and babies living on low levels of maternity pay and benefits, and affecting their health and wellbeing, warns national charity, Maternity Action, in its new report, A Perfect Storm, launched today.

A survey of 1,394 mothers who had taken maternity leave at some point between January 2021 and December 2022 reported that, while on leave:

  •     half (49%) were buying less healthy food and one quarter had gone without food to feed their children
  •     71% worried ‘a lot’ about money during pregnancy or maternity leave, an increase from 64% in an equivalent 2022 survey
  •     60% of respondents had relied on a credit card or borrowed money to make ends meet, up from 51% in 2022
  •     58% also returned to work before they were fully recovered from the birth due to financial pressures

The report outlines how criteria for maternity pay unfairly excludes many women in insecure work, women whose pregnancies were unplanned or unexpected or who have had periods of illness. It also states that many women are going back to work sooner than they’d want due to maternity pay being too low.

One mother taking part in the research said: “I had to go back to work when my baby was only three months old. I am still at work now because we couldn’t afford to live, we had to take a £5,000 loan to keep us afloat for those three months because maternity pay wasn’t enough.

“In the end, despite the fact that I couldn’t afford it, I went onto statutory maternity and got 12 months with the baby. We literally food banked it. We survived that way.”

UNISON national women’s officer Bukky Akinwale said: “Everyone is feeling the impact of escalating costs of living, but it’s hitting new families particularly hard. The failure of maternity pay to keep up with increasing costs of living is driving many pregnant workers and new mothers into severe financial hardship.

“As a union with predominantly women members – over one million of them – raising awareness of the issues faced by pregnant workers, new mothers and families, protecting their rights and campaigning for change is an important part of our work.”

The report makes recommendations to the government on how to better support pregnant women, new mothers, babies and their families, including:

  •     criteria should be changed so that more women who have zero-hours contracts can quality for statutory maternity pay 
  •     statutory maternity pay and maternity allowance should be raised to at least the level of the national minimum wage
  •     rights and protections at work should be strengthened, including a right to flexible working and family friendly working arrangements
  •     women should be able to access legal advice and support with benefits entitlements and rights at work through their maternity service
  •     the 30-hour entitlement to childcare should be available to families straight after maternity leave

Ros Bragg, director of Maternity Action, said: “The cost of living crisis has exacerbated long-term underinvestment in maternity pay and benefits.  We should be protecting the health and wellbeing of mothers and their babies and not putting them at risk through financial stress.

“Statutory maternity pay is just 47% of the national living wage and only 37% of women’s median incomes. Families cannot make ends meet with the costs of a new baby and this dramatic drop in income. 

“All mothers should be able to afford a healthy pregnancy and time away from work to bond with their baby. Pregnant women and those with new babies should not be struggling to eat a healthy diet and pay for essentials.”

Read the full report here

The article Survey reveals impact on families of low maternity pay first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Survey reveals impact on families of low maternity pay

The cost of living crisis is affecting women and babies living on low levels of maternity pay and benefits, and affecting their health and wellbeing, warns national charity, Maternity Action, in its new report, A Perfect Storm, launched today.

A survey of 1,394 mothers who had taken maternity leave at some point between January 2021 and December 2022 reported that, while on leave:

  •     half (49%) were buying less healthy food and one quarter had gone without food to feed their children
  •     71% worried ‘a lot’ about money during pregnancy or maternity leave, an increase from 64% in an equivalent 2022 survey
  •     60% of respondents had relied on a credit card or borrowed money to make ends meet, up from 51% in 2022
  •     58% also returned to work before they were fully recovered from the birth due to financial pressures

The report outlines how criteria for maternity pay unfairly excludes many women in insecure work, women whose pregnancies were unplanned or unexpected or who have had periods of illness. It also states that many women are going back to work sooner than they’d want due to maternity pay being too low.

One mother taking part in the research said: “I had to go back to work when my baby was only three months old. I am still at work now because we couldn’t afford to live, we had to take a £5,000 loan to keep us afloat for those three months because maternity pay wasn’t enough.

“In the end, despite the fact that I couldn’t afford it, I went onto statutory maternity and got 12 months with the baby. We literally food banked it. We survived that way.”

UNISON national women’s officer Bukky Akinwale said: “Everyone is feeling the impact of escalating costs of living, but it’s hitting new families particularly hard. The failure of maternity pay to keep up with increasing costs of living is driving many pregnant workers and new mothers into severe financial hardship.

“As a union with predominantly women members – over one million of them – raising awareness of the issues faced by pregnant workers, new mothers and families, protecting their rights and campaigning for change is an important part of our work.”

The report makes recommendations to the government on how to better support pregnant women, new mothers, babies and their families, including:

  •     criteria should be changed so that more women who have zero-hours contracts can quality for statutory maternity pay 
  •     statutory maternity pay and maternity allowance should be raised to at least the level of the national minimum wage
  •     rights and protections at work should be strengthened, including a right to flexible working and family friendly working arrangements
  •     women should be able to access legal advice and support with benefits entitlements and rights at work through their maternity service
  •     the 30-hour entitlement to childcare should be available to families straight after maternity leave

Ros Bragg, director of Maternity Action, said: “The cost of living crisis has exacerbated long-term underinvestment in maternity pay and benefits.  We should be protecting the health and wellbeing of mothers and their babies and not putting them at risk through financial stress.

“Statutory maternity pay is just 47% of the national living wage and only 37% of women’s median incomes. Families cannot make ends meet with the costs of a new baby and this dramatic drop in income. 

“All mothers should be able to afford a healthy pregnancy and time away from work to bond with their baby. Pregnant women and those with new babies should not be struggling to eat a healthy diet and pay for essentials.”

Read the full report here

The article Survey reveals impact on families of low maternity pay first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Swelling bankers’ pay packets won’t help people struggling with bills

Responding to the announcement that the cap on bankers’ bonuses is to be removed in a shake-up of financial rules, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“Anyone who thinks that making bankers even richer will achieve anything positive for the country is utterly deluded.

“It’s beyond belief that the disastrous policies of Liz Truss are being reheated. She trashed the economy and everyone else is still paying the price.

“This won’t win public sympathy for a government in desperate need of it. Ministers should be helping the millions struggling with rising bills, growing the economy and investing in crumbling public services. Not allowing their wealthy pals to feather their nests further.”

Notes to editors
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts: 
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk.
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk

The article Swelling bankers’ pay packets won’t help people struggling with bills first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Swelling bankers’ pay packets won’t help people struggling with bills

Responding to the announcement that the cap on bankers’ bonuses is to be removed in a shake-up of financial rules, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“Anyone who thinks that making bankers even richer will achieve anything positive for the country is utterly deluded.

“It’s beyond belief that the disastrous policies of Liz Truss are being reheated. She trashed the economy and everyone else is still paying the price.

“This won’t win public sympathy for a government in desperate need of it. Ministers should be helping the millions struggling with rising bills, growing the economy and investing in crumbling public services. Not allowing their wealthy pals to feather their nests further.”

Notes to editors
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts: 
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk.
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk

The article Swelling bankers’ pay packets won’t help people struggling with bills first appeared on the UNISON National site.

PM’s policy wheezes are last desperate roll of the dice from a government on borrowed time

Commenting on Rishi Sunak’s speech today to the Conservative Party conference, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“The country is broken after 13 years of poor government. The prime minister’s focus should be on fixing the mess created by his ministers and those of the four earlier woeful Conservative administrations.

“Under his party the UK has become an international embarrassment. People have been pummelled by a cost of living crisis no one in government appears to have a handle on and public services are in a state of permanent crisis.

“These policy wheezes are a last desperate roll of the dice from a government that knows it’s living on borrowed time.

“There is but one solution. That’s for Rishi Sunak to call an election now and let the people elect a government able to put right the many wrongs of the past decade.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: press@unison.co.uk

The article PM’s policy wheezes are last desperate roll of the dice from a government on borrowed time first appeared on the UNISON National site.

PM’s policy wheezes are last desperate roll of the dice from a government on borrowed time

Commenting on Rishi Sunak’s speech today to the Conservative Party conference, UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said:

“The country is broken after 13 years of poor government. The prime minister’s focus should be on fixing the mess created by his ministers and those of the four earlier woeful Conservative administrations.

“Under his party the UK has become an international embarrassment. People have been pummelled by a cost of living crisis no one in government appears to have a handle on and public services are in a state of permanent crisis.

“These policy wheezes are a last desperate roll of the dice from a government that knows it’s living on borrowed time.

“There is but one solution. That’s for Rishi Sunak to call an election now and let the people elect a government able to put right the many wrongs of the past decade.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: press@unison.co.uk

The article PM’s policy wheezes are last desperate roll of the dice from a government on borrowed time first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Get support with your energy bills

 

There for You (UNISON’s welfare charity) will open the third phase of the Energy Support Fund on 27 September, with grants of £200 available to support low-income members with their energy costs.

Due to finite funds, only 2,000 applications can be accepted. Of these, 1,000 will be released at 8.30am and 1,000 at 5pm.

In previous rounds of this fund, demand has been so high that applications opened and closed within hours – so if you plan to apply, it might be helpful to set yourself a reminder.

Find out more about eligibility requirements and how to apply

UNISON’s welfare charity, There for You, has a long history dating back to the early 1900s and through UNISON’s predecessor unions. Unique among trade unions, it was created to be a source of support for those members of the union who had fallen on hard times.

Speaking of its initial purpose, Debi Potter, vice chair of the charity’s board, says: “It was about bereavement, it was about relationship breakdown, it was about serious ill health that put people into a position where they needed to ask for assistance.”

Now, after a decade of below-inflation public sector pay rises and the more recent cost of living scandal, the simple fact is that members’ pay often does not stretch far enough to make ends meet.

“It is a very, very sorry state of affairs,” Debi says. “Employers are not giving the pay rises that our members deserve and that they need. So members are in a position where they are fighting constantly to keep their head above water and are having to turn to us as a charity.

“We’ve seen the level of hardship being faced by members, and have tried to react in kind, with one of the most extensive support schemes the charity has ever run.”

Since October last year, as well as the annual small grants programmes, There for You has run two phases of grants from its Energy Support Fund, aimed at providing financial relief for those members who are worried about paying their energy bills.

The third phase of the fund opens on 27 September (details at the top of this article) and, once it closes, the fund will have received around 8,000 applications for the £200 grants.

Debi is quick to add that, “None of this could have happened without the generosity of UNISON branches, who have helped the charity raise over £1m over the past year.”

On the support fund, she continues: “What I would say is this – do check the eligibility criteria carefully before applying. And, if you are successful in your application, please make sure you send in the right documentation as soon as you are able.

“The quicker you do, the quicker you will receive the money. It also helps the charity avoid any backlog and assist as many members as possible, as quickly as possible.”

Energy bills

If you are worried about not being able to pay your energy bills, contact your supplier as soon as you can. Under the regulator Ofgem’s rules, your supplier must help you. Often this will involve negotiating a payment plan which you can afford, though some firms have their own hardship funds.

You can find a good source of information about what to do if you are struggling to pay your bills at Money Saving Expert.

The damage has been done

Although the government has confirmed that eligible means-tested benefit claimants will receive a £300 cost of living payment from September ­– though it’s not clear exactly when – the disparity between inflationary pressures and the public sector pay rises which have been seen over the last year are a real cause for concern.

Debi notes: “Even with the cost of living payments and the regulator’s [Ofgem’s] announcement that the energy price cap will drop by an average of 7% on October 1, many people will still be worried about what’s going to happen over autumn and into winter, as their usage increases. Costs may come down a bit, but they won’t come down enough.”

She highlights that, though inflation has slowed, with RPI falling to 9% in July, “The damage has already been done and prices are continuing to rise at very high rates.

“I know of people who are taking sick leave at the end of a pay month, because they actually can’t afford to get to work. They can’t afford to take the bus, they can’t afford to get there by car, they have no option but to not go to work.

“These people love their jobs. They have worked for their organisations for years and years and have really good attendance records – they just cannot afford to get in.

“Across the board, now, people are looking elsewhere, even in roles that were previously seen to be relatively well paid. They want to work in the public sector, but they just can’t afford to.

“So they move to the private sector to pick up a wage which means that they don’t have to visit food banks, that they don’t have to sit in the dark at home, that they don’t have to go off sick at the end of the month.

“The common analogy is stacking shelves in a supermarket. Earning the same money, or more, rigid hours, less responsibility, it’s probably closer to home so you can walk there and save on transport, and you even get a discount in store, so your grocery bill goes down.”

How you can access support

Though many of There for You’s small grants programmes do have specific eligibility criteria, Debi is keen to emphasise that, “Actually, we are there for all members in difficulty and we have a range of services we provide.”

These include:

Debi concludes: “It’s important to add that anybody who deals with the charity does so on a non-judgmental basis. We see the problems and difficulties that people have every day and we really urge anyone struggling to come forward and seek support.”

Find out more and details of how to apply for the next phase of the Energy Support Fund 

 

The article Get support with your energy bills first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Get support with your energy bills

 

There for You (UNISON’s welfare charity) will open the third phase of the Energy Support Fund on 27 September, with grants of £200 available to support low-income members with their energy costs.

Due to finite funds, only 2,000 applications can be accepted. Of these, 1,000 will be released at 8.30am and 1,000 at 5pm.

In previous rounds of this fund, demand has been so high that applications opened and closed within hours – so if you plan to apply, it might be helpful to set yourself a reminder.

Find out more about eligibility requirements and how to apply

UNISON’s welfare charity, There for You, has a long history dating back to the early 1900s and through UNISON’s predecessor unions. Unique among trade unions, it was created to be a source of support for those members of the union who had fallen on hard times.

Speaking of its historic purpose, Debi Potter, vice chair of the charity’s board, says: “It was about bereavement, it was about relationship breakdown, it was about serious ill health that put people into a position where they needed to ask for assistance.”

Now, after a decade of below-inflation public sector pay rises and the more recent cost of living scandal, the simple fact is that members’ pay often does not stretch far enough to make ends meet.

“It is a very, very sorry state of affairs,” Debi says. “Employers are not giving the pay rises that our members deserve and that they need. So members are in a position where they are fighting constantly to keep their head above water and are having to turn to us as a charity.

“We’ve seen the level of hardship being faced by members, and have tried to react in kind, with one of the most extensive support schemes the charity has ever run.”

Since October last year, as well as the annual small grants programmes, There for You has run two phases of grants from its Energy Support Fund, aimed at providing financial relief for those members who are worried about paying their energy bills.

The third phase of the fund opens on 27 September (details at the top of this article) and, once it closes, the fund will have received around 8,000 applications for the £200 grants.

Debi is quick to add that, “None of this could have happened without the generosity of UNISON branches, who have helped the charity raise over £1m over the past year.”

On the support fund, she continues: “What I would say is this – do check the eligibility criteria carefully before applying. And, if you are successful in your application, please make sure you send in the right documentation as soon as you are able.

“The quicker you do, the quicker you will receive the money. It also helps the charity avoid any backlog and assist as many members as possible, as quickly as possible.”

Energy bills

If you are worried about not being able to pay your energy bills, contact your supplier as soon as you can. Under the regulator Ofgem’s rules, your supplier must help you. Often this will involve negotiating a payment plan which you can afford, though some firms have their own hardship funds.

You can find a good source of information about what to do if you are struggling to pay your bills at Money Saving Expert.

The damage has been done

Although the government has confirmed that eligible means-tested benefit claimants will receive a £300 cost of living payment from September ­– though it’s not clear exactly when – the disparity between inflationary pressures and the public sector pay rises which have been seen over the last year are a real cause for concern.

Debi notes: “Even with the cost of living payments and the regulator’s [Ofgem’s] announcement that the energy price cap will drop by an average of 7% on October 1, many people will still be worried about what’s going to happen over autumn and into winter, as their usage increases. Costs may come down a bit, but they won’t come down enough.”

She highlights that, though inflation has slowed, with RPI falling to 9% in July, “The damage has already been done and prices are continuing to rise at very high rates.

“I know of people who are taking sick leave at the end of a pay month, because they actually can’t afford to get to work. They can’t afford to take the bus, they can’t afford to get there by car, they have no option but to not go to work.

“These people love their jobs. They have worked for their organisations for years and years and have really good attendance records – they just cannot afford to get in.

“Across the board, now, people are looking elsewhere, even in roles that were previously seen to be relatively well paid. They want to work in the public sector, but they just can’t afford to.

“So they move to the private sector to pick up a wage which means that they don’t have to visit food banks, that they don’t have to sit in the dark at home, that they don’t have to go off sick at the end of the month.

“The common analogy is stacking shelves in a supermarket. Earning the same money, or more, rigid hours, less responsibility, it’s probably closer to home so you can walk there and save on transport, and you even get a discount in store, so your grocery bill goes down.”

How you can access support

Though many of There for You’s small grants programmes do have specific eligibility criteria, Debi is keen to emphasise that, “Actually, we are there for all members in difficulty and we have a range of services we provide.”

These include:

Debi concludes: “It’s important to add that anybody who deals with the charity does so on a non-judgmental basis. We see the problems and difficulties that people have every day and we really urge anyone struggling to come forward and seek support.”

Find out more and details of how to apply for the next phase of the Energy Support Fund 

 

The article Get support with your energy bills first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Workers speak out about mileage rates

Last month, The RAC Foundation, a transport policy and research organisation, announced that frontline workers who use their car for work are out of pocket by an average of £6,000 a year due to out-of-date mileage rates.

Since then, the union has heard from numerous members about their experiences.

Roger Lewis said: “It’s an outrageous scandal that the higher the mileage workers have to travel in their cars, the more out of pocket we are. It’s a financial disincentive or penalty for doing our work. We should be paid properly.”

Community care worker Debbie Pink said: “We have not had an increase in our mileage costs for twelve years, yet the fuel prices have vastly been inflated. It’s costing me more and more to travel and use my car, not to mention the cost of repairs to my vehicle due to the road surfaces.”

Using UNISON data, The RAC Foundation has calculated that approved mileage allowance payments (AMAPs) should be 63.4p per mile, a significant increase on the existing HMRC rate of 45p, which has not been updated since 2011.

One UNISON member, who works night shifts, said: “I do on average 80 miles per night. Last year I went over 9000 miles and only got 14p per mile there after. I’ve just paid over £300 for four new tyres. It used to be beneficial for me to use my car but it certainly isn’t now.”

One UNISON member who works as a teaching assistant and drives a battery electric vehicle (BEV) said: “I do not have to claim mileage for work very often, but when I do, my county council is so backward in its approach to electric vehicles that it still does not have an option for the school’s business manager to claim for my BEV mileage, despite the huge increases in energy costs.

“This also extends to the public provision of charging points which has been dire throughout our car ownership.”

Ask your MP to take action on mileage rates here.

UNISON’s recommendations for government:

  • increase mileage rates, now, to 63.4p per mile, and commit to a quarterly review and recalculation to coincide with Advisory Fuel Rate calculations*
  • restructure AMAPs to raise the cap from 3,500 to 10,000 miles – and ensure mileage rate tiers are removed in NJC and Agenda for Change terms too
  • take urgent action on public sector pay and low wages, so that staff are not in such a vulnerable financial situation again
  • invest in a public sector Electric Vehicle (EV) fleet rollout, ensuring the funding is available to public bodies to offer all grey fleet (meaning cars that are owned by the employee but used for work purposes) drivers the option to use an EV to drive between clients or sites
  • explore introducing a grey fleet scrappage scheme similar to the Mayor of London’s ultra lower emission zone (ULEZ) scheme that supports low-income drivers to scrap the highest polluting vehicles.

*the rates set by government to assist businesses in reimbursing or being reimbursed for fuel costs of company cars.

The article Workers speak out about mileage rates first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Workers speak out about mileage rates

Last month, The RAC Foundation, a transport policy and research organisation, announced that frontline workers who use their car for work are out of pocket by an average of £6,000 a year due to out-of-date mileage rates.

Since then, the union has heard from numerous members about their experiences.

Roger Lewis said: “It’s an outrageous scandal that the higher the mileage workers have to travel in their cars, the more out of pocket we are. It’s a financial disincentive or penalty for doing our work. We should be paid properly.”

Community care worker Debbie Pink said: “We have not had an increase in our mileage costs for twelve years, yet the fuel prices have vastly been inflated. It’s costing me more and more to travel and use my car, not to mention the cost of repairs to my vehicle due to the road surfaces.”

Using UNISON data, The RAC Foundation has calculated that approved mileage allowance payments (AMAPs) should be 63.4p per mile, a significant increase on the existing HMRC rate of 45p, which has not been updated since 2011.

One UNISON member, who works night shifts, said: “I do on average 80 miles per night. Last year I went over 9000 miles and only got 14p per mile there after. I’ve just paid over £300 for four new tyres. It used to be beneficial for me to use my car but it certainly isn’t now.”

One UNISON member who works as a teaching assistant and drives a battery electric vehicle (BEV) said: “I do not have to claim mileage for work very often, but when I do, my county council is so backward in its approach to electric vehicles that it still does not have an option for the school’s business manager to claim for my BEV mileage, despite the huge increases in energy costs.

“This also extends to the public provision of charging points which has been dire throughout our car ownership.”

Ask your MP to take action on mileage rates here.

UNISON’s recommendations for government:

  • increase mileage rates, now, to 63.4p per mile, and commit to a quarterly review and recalculation to coincide with Advisory Fuel Rate calculations*
  • restructure AMAPs to raise the cap from 3,500 to 10,000 miles – and ensure mileage rate tiers are removed in NJC and Agenda for Change terms too
  • take urgent action on public sector pay and low wages, so that staff are not in such a vulnerable financial situation again
  • invest in a public sector Electric Vehicle (EV) fleet rollout, ensuring the funding is available to public bodies to offer all grey fleet (meaning cars that are owned by the employee but used for work purposes) drivers the option to use an EV to drive between clients or sites
  • explore introducing a grey fleet scrappage scheme similar to the Mayor of London’s ultra lower emission zone (ULEZ) scheme that supports low-income drivers to scrap the highest polluting vehicles.

*the rates set by government to assist businesses in reimbursing or being reimbursed for fuel costs of company cars.

The article Workers speak out about mileage rates first appeared on the UNISON National site.