'We couldn't have a baby and couldn't adopt - it was devastating'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Kirsty and Andy Davenport were always open to the idea of adopting. Their first child, Charlie, 'happened instantly'. But after struggling to conceive their second, they started to look into alternatives.

What the couple from Marple soon discovered is that they just couldn't afford to adopt as Kirsty is self-employed. While she would be eligible for maternity allowance, because she works for herself rather than being an employee, she does not qualify for adoption pay.

Employees are eligible for statutory adoption pay which covers 90 per cent of average weekly earnings for the first six weeks and up to £184.03 a week for the 33 weeks after that.

While Andy is eligible for this, Kirsty, who teaches English as a foreign language, is not. Local councils can offer financial support too, but this is discretionary.