Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many women received maternity allowance in the last year for which figures are available; what the average length of time they received it for was; and what the total cost to the public purse was.

The information we have for the number receiving Maternity Allowance and the average duration is published each quarter and is available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/maternity-allowance-quarterly-statistics

The cost to the public purse for Great Britain in 2012/13 was £395 million in nominal terms consistent with expenditure tables published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/benefit-expenditure-tables