Coronavirus law change will hand new mums full maternity pay - even on furlough

mirror.co.uk:

A last-minute change in the law has been enacted today to stop new mums losing out in the coronavirus outbreak. The change will mean people who go on maternity leave now receive their full usual maternity pay, even if they are put on the government's 'furlough' scheme.

It applies to anyone starting Maternity, Paternity, Shared Parental, Parental Bereavement or Adoption Pay from tomorrow. Tonight's move - which campaigners said was welcome, but not enough - comes after fears that thousands of mums were losing out on cash.

The 'furlough' scheme for more than 3million people leaves workers on 80% or less of their usual pay, funded by the state. Because maternity pay is already less than a full wage, new mums were taking a double hit by