Have Things Really Improved for Working Mums in the UK? A 2025 Reality Check

About the Author

Abbie Coleman is the founder and editor of MMB Magazine, the UK’s leading online platform dedicated to supporting working mums. With over 25 years of recruitment experience and 10 years running her own consultancy, Abbie is a passionate advocate for workplace equality, flexible careers, and empowering mums to return to work with confidence. Through the MMB Returner Survey, she has captured the voices of thousands of professional mothers across the UK, using this insight to challenge employers and shape better policies for working parents. Abbie’s mission is to make work work for mums—whether they’re returning after maternity leave, changing careers, or launching businesses of their own. When she’s not writing or championing change, she’s exploring Derbyshire with her two children, Kimi and Eliza.

Over the last five years, there’s been no shortage of headlines, government promises, and new workplace policies claiming to support working mums. You’d be forgiven for thinking things have dramatically improved, from free childcare rollouts to flexible working rights. But when you dig into the data—and, more importantly, real-life experiences—you see a much murkier picture. So, what’s actually changed? Is the working world fairer or easier for mums in 2026 than 2020?

The Motherhood Penalty: £8.6k a Year Just for Having Kids

Let’s start with the starkest figure. In 2023, UK mothers earned on average £4.44 less per hour than fathers—a 24% pay gap that’s widened by 93p since 2020 (The Guardian). If you’re working full-time (37.5 hours a week, 52 weeks a year), that hourly gap adds up to a whopping £8,658 a year. And it’s not just temporary: seven years after their first child, a woman’s income is typically less than half her male partner’s (The Guardian).

This isn’t just about money today—there’s a long-term hit, too. Royal London estimates that mothers face a pension shortfall of up to £183,000 due to time out of work or reduced hours (Royal London). So even decades later, women are still paying for becoming mums.

Flexible Working: A Right in Theory, a Risk in Reality

From April 2024, employees can request flexible working from day one—excellent on paper. But the actual experience of many mums tells a different story. A 2023 report from Pregnant Then Screwed found that mothers are 2.5 times more likely than fathers to ask for flexible work. Still, a large chunk are either refused or fear asking at all due to concerns it’ll damage their career (Pregnant Then Screwed).

In education, a profession filled with women, one deputy head shared her story of being told to return full-time or leave after maternity leave despite 15 years of service (The Guardian). She left. This shows how “flexibility” often comes down to employer goodwill rather than genuine structural change.

Childcare: Free Hours Sound Nice, But Who’s Paying?

The government’s expansion of free childcare has been big news. From April 2024, working parents of 2-year-olds got 15 free hours a week, and by September 2025, this extends to 30 hours for all children from 9 months old (The Legal Partners).

But nurseries are already warning that funding doesn’t match real costs. According to the National Day Nurseries Association, operating costs—especially staffing—have risen 15%, while funding increases lag behind at 4% (The Independent). Many providers are either turning parents away or raising prices to stay afloat. It looks like “free” means someone else pays—the nurseries, the staff, or the parents.

Returner Programmes: Where Did the Money Go?

Remember the £5 million fund announced in 2017 to help mums return to work after a career break? That initiative promised retraining and support to rebuild confidence and skills (MMB Magazine Returner Survey). In reality, uptake was low, awareness was minimal, and its long-term impact has been difficult to track. There’s no substantial evidence that it made a real dent in returners’ challenges—outdated skills, lower pay offers, or job rejection due to “too much time out.”

Gender Pay Gap: Some Progress, But Not for All

There has been some movement. In 2024, the gender pay gap among full-time employees dropped slightly to 7.0%, down from 7.5% in 2023 (ONS). But the bigger picture isn’t as rosy. Among all employees, the gap is still 13.1%. For women in their 40s, it jumps to 9.1%—reflecting the impact of maternity leave, childcare, and career plateaus.

New Government, New Hope?

With Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves in charge, Labour has promised stronger protections for working parents. But so far, there’s been more rhetoric than action. Campaigners are pushing for fully funded childcare, better parental leave for both parents and more rigid rules to prevent pregnancy discrimination. Whether Labour delivers or repeats old patterns remains to be seen.

Final Word: Has It Really Improved?

Yes, there are more rights and policies on paper. But for many mums, it still feels like survival, not support. Between unaffordable childcare, stalled careers, and the long tail of pay and pension gaps, motherhood remains an economic risk. Until flexibility is embedded in workplace culture (not just a perk) and childcare is treated as infrastructure, the real change we need will stay out of reach.

Sources for this article:

Have Things Really Improved for Working Mums in the UK? A 2026 Reality Check

Have Things Really Improved for Working Mums in the UK? A 2025 Reality Check

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