evidence: Statutory maternity pay (SMP) was introduced in the UK in 1987. [...] The UK is ranked very differently on two different measures of maternity pay in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) - a 38-member group which looks at economic and social policy. When it comes to overall pay, the UK sits towards the bottom of the pack - but it's near the top when measured on the length of paid time women have the legal right to take off, according to research by the OECD in 2023.