Harriett Thompson started her maternity leave at the beginning of 2025, but at the start of this month she still had not received any of the statutory pay she was entitled to.
The freelance makeup artist described what she says is a familiar experience for a lot of self-employed mothers. “Luckily [my partner] Alex started a long contract when our daughter was born, which has enabled us to get by … That’s coming to an end now, with no future work in sight, so I’m getting anxious about receiving the money,” she told us.
