Women on high incomes may face cuts in maternity pay as part of the government's plans to reform the welfare state.

Harriet Harman says maternity benefit must be reformed

The Social Security Secretary Harriet Harman said an "affluence test" may be introduced to make the payments of maternity benefits fairer. Most pregnant women collect statutory maternity benefit which is set at 90% of their income.

While women on high incomes are collecting thousands of pounds a week, one in five working women gets no statutory maternity pay, said Ms Harman.

Harriet Harman says system she wants to make the system fairer (0' 20")

"If you're one of the very highest earning women, you can get up to £20,00 a week from the social security system," she said.

Former Social Security secretary Peter Lilley, now Shadow Chancellor, said the suggested reforms would amount to a return of means-testing.

Ms Harman and the Prime Minister Tony Blair have announced plans for a "roadshow" to explain their proposals to reform the welfare state.

Meanwhile demonstrators have already been showing their anger against the proposed cuts by protesting at Westminster.

Ms Harman acknowledged welfare reform would be difficult, but said it would also be worthwhile to release money for education and health.

"I know there will be controversy along the way ... but we will end up with a system which commands public support," she told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend.

Maternity benefit - the facts

• There are two types of maternity benefit - Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and Maternity Allowance (MA).

• Before SMP was introduced in 1987 the only maternity pay was MA.

• Most people receive SMP. To qualify for it a woman must be employed, and must have been earning at least £62 a week, the lower earnings limit for National Insurance contributions, for 26 weeks running.

• The 26 weeks has to run into the 15th week before the due date of the birth.

• If a woman qualifies for SMP she will receive 90% of her earnings for the first six weeks and £55.70 for the next 12 weeks.

• An employer paying SMP can recover 92% of it from the government.

• Small employers, whose annual National Insurance payment for all its staff is £20,000 or less a year can recover all of the SMP paid.

• The first six weeks of SMP is subject to tax and National Insurance.

• If a woman does not qualify for SMP she will receive Maternity Allowance.

• To qualify for MA a woman must have been earning at least £62 a week for any 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before she is due to give birth.

• If she is employed she will receive £55.70 a week, and for others, mainly self-employed, the rate is £43.35.

• In 1996-97 £490 m was paid out in SMP and £36 m in MA.

• If a woman is earning less than £62 a week she will receive no maternity benefits, unless she can claim other benefits.

• If she is claiming other benefits she will receive a £100 one-off lump sum from the Social Fund Maternity Payment, which paid out £22 m in 1996-97.

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