Reform UK Extends Maternity Claim Window to 12 Months—A Procedural Fix With Political Limits

Reform UK's Women and Motherhood Protection Act proposal would extend the time pregnant workers and new mothers have to file unfair dismissal claims from three months to 12 months. The change addresses a structural flaw: claimants often miss the current window while on leave or postpartum. Yet the broader package merely codifies existing rights rather than expanding protections. The TUC swiftly condemned it as "deceptive," signaling labor's skepticism about a party pursuing deregulatory policies while claiming to champion worker safeguards.