Researching our financial options for impending parenthood, I discovered that as a SELF-EMPLOYED ADOPTIVE MOTHER I do not receive statutory adoption pay. Discriminatory? Very. See below for very cross letter I sent my MP (his name actually is Norman, I didn't make that up). Working pregnant women, by law, receive statutory maternity pay regardless of whether they are employed through a company or self-employed.
There are several things you can help me do as my friends - sign this petition (not mine but one I came across) and/or cut and paste your own version of the below letter to email to your MP. I know that's asking a lot and I don't expect you to send a letter/email if you don't have time, but any help getting this issue raised in public consciousness would be very helpful. I can see a placard-waving few months coming on here!
Just to give you an idea of where things stand at present, this is the current response to questions about this discrimination:
"As you are aware maternity benefits are primarily provided to protect the health and safety of the pregnant women and new mother when she has given birth... Statutory Adoption Pay is not available to the self-employed. The Government did carefully consider the position of self-employed parents when SAP was introduced but it was considered that the costs of setting up and administering a scheme similar to maternity allowance would be disproportionate to the numbers involved." (my italics)
Right. Well, thanks. Those 'numbers involved' currently include me, and I won't take it lying down. So any help you can give would be gratefully received!
MY ANGRY EMAIL TO MP:
Dear Norman,
I am writing to you because my husband and I are in the
process of adopting and researching our financial options. Today I discovered
that as a self-employed individual, I am not eligible for statutory adoption
pay. This seems to be a shocking discrimination. Working pregnant women, by
law, have access to statutory maternity pay regardless of whether they are
employed through a company or self employed. Why are adoptive mothers
discriminated against like this? Women who go on to adopt often do so after
years of trying for their own biological family. Consider how it must feel
then, that after years of failing to conceive, they are at a distinct financial
disadvantage to women who get pregnant and have their own child.
Surely the work we do is just as valuable as biological
mothers? In fact, it could be argued it is more so. We are providing a secure
and safe home environment for seriously disadvantaged children. If we did not
adopt these children, it would fall to the state to provide for them financially
and bring them up until they are 18. These are children who have suffered more
trauma and separation in their early lives than most of us will experience in a
lifetime. To enable them to go on to live secure, happy and fulfilling lives,
they need the best start in their adoptive families as possible. These children
need adoptive parents who are able to devote time to help them adjust, who can
be there as they cope with some of the attachment issues common to adoptive
youngsters.
To deny a self-employed woman statutory adoption pay, so
that she has to jeopardise the health and happiness of her child and return to
work, seems thoughtless at best and, frankly, downright dangerous. If we are to
give these children the best chance after rocky beginnings, we need to support
those who will be dedicated to their care: their parents. Discriminating
against self employed adoptive parents, and making them feel like lower class citizens
without rights, does not achieve this.
I am still reeling from the shock of my discovery and want
to reach as many people as possible so we can fight against this blatant and
unacceptable discrimination. I hope I can count on your support in bringing
this to light in parliament. We must act to change the law.
