Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to enable employers to reclaim 100 per cent of the cost of a maternity suspension on full pay of a woman (a) who is 28 weeks pregnant or beyond and (b) pregnant and clinically extremely vulnerable or otherwise medically advised to shield.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is available to all employers and employees providing they meet the eligibility criteria, and this includes the clinically extremely vulnerable.

In those cases where appropriate control measures or working from home cannot be put in place for pregnant employees, and so they are placed on a maternity suspension due to their personal health and safety risk, the employer should continue to pay the employees their full pay. It is up to employers to decide whether to furlough those employees who are at the highest risk of severe illness from coronavirus, and if they do, employers can use the CJRS grant to cover 80% of furloughed employees’ salaries, up to £2,500 per month.

Throughout the pandemic the Government’s economic priority has been to protect jobs and livelihoods. Since March, the Government has provided support for people, businesses and public services totalling an estimated £280 billion. In particular, businesses have received billions in loans, tax deferrals, business rate reliefs, and general and sector-specific grants. This support can be used by businesses to top up the CJRS grant, ensuring that they can suspend pregnant employees on full pay.