Mothers lose over £100,000 due to children: research findings.

The staggering cost of raising children

According to The Sun: A new study shows the grim financial consequences of motherhood.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), mothers lose an average of £1,051 per month for five years after the birth of their first child compared to their earnings before motherhood.

The total loss of earnings for a mother with three children exceeds £100,000. The cost of these losses amounts to around £65,618. After the birth of the second child, women lose an additional £26,317, and after the third, £32,456, according to the ONS.

The reduction in income is partly due to lower employment, the authors of the study found, which was conducted from 2014 to 2022.

Activists say that the results of this study confirm beliefs that motherhood is becoming a luxury, as the total loss of earnings for a mother with three children exceeds £100,000.

Rachel Grocott, a representative of the campaign group Pregnant Then Screwed, said: “This new data confirms what mothers have known for decades: from the moment children arrive, your salary drops.”

“This is the price mothers pay – 42% of their salary – over five years after the birth of the first child. It is absolutely unacceptable, and the more children, the deeper the падіння.”

“This is not a gentle decline — it is a financial abyss, leading to losses of over £100,000 for a mother with three children.”

She added: “Is it any wonder that women today are starting to question having children? The cards are stacked so hard against them that affording children becomes a luxury.”

Vaila McClure, head of external affairs at the charity Gingerbread, stressed that the study results are a “stark example of how the world of work is not designed for mothers – and particularly single mothers.”

What support is available for parents?

If you are facing financial difficulties raising children, there are several benefits and support programs you can apply for.

Child benefit can be thousands of pounds a year and is paid to anyone responsible for a child under 16 (or up to 20 if the child is in full-time education).

You can receive £26.05 a week for your first child or only child. For any additional children, the rate is £17.25 a week.

You can apply for this benefit within 48 hours after registering the birth of the child or after the child has started living with you.

Any household earning less than £80,000 per year is entitled to the full payment.

However, if you or your partner earn more than £60,000, you will have to pay back some of the benefit through high-income tax. If you or your partner earn over £80,000 a year, the amount to be repaid will cancel out the payment.

Working families can also receive 30 hours of free childcare per week during the school year for children aged nine months to four years.

Care must be provided by a registered provider, such as a nursery, playgroup, or school.

You can apply when your child is 23 weeks old, but funding starts from the beginning of the term.

You can also open a tax-free childcare account, providing additional support to cover costs for nursery or other approved service providers.

The government scheme provides £2 for free for every £8 deposited into the account, which can then be spent on paying providers.

Parents can receive up to a maximum of £2,000 per year per child or £4,000 if their child is disabled.

How to apply for child benefit

Child benefit is up to £1,331 per year for your first or only child and up to £881 per year for additional children.

This amounts to £102.40 every four weeks or £25.60 per week for the first child and £67.80 every four weeks or £16.95 per week for siblings.

There is no limit on the number of children for whom you can apply.

The application is simple, and can be submitted in a few minutes on the gov.uk website or through the HMRC app.

Parents with newborns should apply online as soon as possible and can receive their first payment within three days.

You also have the option to request payment up to three months retroactively.

Parents can apply and choose the option to opt out of receiving child benefit payments but can still receive national insurance credits if one parent is not working.

National insurance credits accrue your entitlements to the state pension.

If you are expecting your first child and receiving certain benefits, you may qualify for a one-time payment of £500 to cover costs for a new crib or stroller through the Sure Start government program.

You can apply within 11 weeks before the due date of your child, and you do not have to pay back the funds received.

If you are pregnant or have young children, you may also receive weekly assistance to cover food costs through the Healthy Start government program.

The program provides a weekly payment of £4.25 for women who have been pregnant for over 10 weeks, £8.50 during the first year of a child's life, and £4.25 a week for children aged one to four years.

This totals up to £442 a year for necessary baby items.

Eligibility for payment is based on income level and entitlement to social benefits, such as Universal Credit.

You may also be able to receive free assistance for school uniform costs through the Household Support Fund.

To access support, you must be eligible for certain benefits, and your child must also be eligible for free school meals.

Are you facing financial issues that need addressing? Write to [email protected].

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The findings highlight the need for more support for parents, especially mothers who face serious financial difficulties after the birth of children. This issue has already sparked discussions among campaigns to promote social justice and improve working conditions for mothers, which may become one of the priorities in political debates in the near future.

Support for new parents, such as financial payments, access to free childcare, and other assistance, is becoming increasingly important in the face of high living costs. As the study shows, without proper support, many mothers may find themselves in difficult financial situations, necessitating urgent analysis and changes in policy.