Paternity go away in UK is outdated and unequal, say MPs

The UK’s statutory parental go away system is “one of many worst within the developed world” and has “basic flaws”, a gaggle of cross-party MPs has stated.

A report revealed in the present day by the Girls and Equalities Committee stated paternity go away guidelines “entrench outdated gender stereotypes”.

It added that “daring” motion is required, however warned any adjustments would require vital funding.

A Division for Enterprise and Commerce spokesperson stated the federal government is finishing up a assessment to see the way it greatest can assist working households.

Launched in 2003, statutory paternity go away permits most new fathers and second mother and father within the UK to take as much as two weeks off work.

It applies to all companions, no matter gender, after the start, surrogacy or adoption of a child.

These eligible obtain £187.18 per week or 90% of their common earnings, whichever is decrease.

This works out as lower than 50% of the Nationwide Dwelling Wage and fathers are ineligible for statutory paternity go away if they’re self-employed or earn lower than £123 per week.

The report says that is “fully out of kilter with the price of dwelling” and suggests the federal government ought to take into account growing paternity pay to 90% or extra and paternity go away to 6 weeks in a phased method.

It recommends each elements needs to be achieved throughout this Parliament.

Highlighting how paternity go away has not modified noticeably since its introduction greater than 20 years in the past, the report says: “We now have one of many worst statutory go away presents for fathers and different mother and father within the developed world.”

In Spain, new dads can take 16 weeks off work at full pay.

New guidelines launched in France in 2021 imply working dads can now spend 28 days at residence whereas being paid.

Households in Sweden are entitled to 480 days of paid parental go away, with 90 days reserved for fathers.

As a part of Your Voice, Your BBC Information we’re protecting the tales that matter most to you and a number of other dads have been in contact about paternity go away.

James Yeates, from Haverhill, Suffolk, says it was “horrible” having to return to work simply two weeks after his son, Luca, was born in September 2024.

Though he says the start of his son was “the happiest second of my life”, he quickly felt as if he was leaving his companion “within the lurch”.

“There could be occasions when my companion was struggling and I might have to go away to go to work,” he stated.

“I felt like I used to be letting her down and letting my son down.”

James works for the NHS, who topped up his statutory paternity pay to 100% of his standard wage, however feels as if he was prevented from being “a extra current guardian”.

The WEC report additionally checked out shared parental go away, which was launched in 2014 and permits mother and father to share as much as 50 weeks of go away and as much as 37 weeks of pay after the start or adoption of a kid.

However the assessment discovered many households thought-about it “unnecessarily complicated” and “burdensome”.

It’s utilized in fewer than 2% of all births and a authorities assessment from 2023 suggests virtually half (45%) of all dads weren’t even conscious shared parental go away was an possibility.

The report has been launched on the eve of the world’s first dad strike.

A whole lot of fathers are anticipated to picket exterior the Division for Enterprise and Commerce in London on Wednesday to name for an overhaul of the UK’s parental go away insurance policies.

New analysis by The Dad Shift and Shaun Davies MP means that simply 3% of cash spent on parental go away within the UK helps fathers and non-birthing mother and father.

Info offered by employers to HMRC reveals that £3.3bn was spent on statutory maternity pay in 2023/24.

Throughout the identical interval, £69m was spent on paternity pay and £34.4m statutory shared parental pay.

George Gabriel, co-founder of the Dad Shift, stated paternity go away legal guidelines imply dads typically have to return to work earlier than their two-week paternity go away ends.

“The pie is small and the crumbs left for dads and non-birthing mother and father are actually fairly pitiful,” he stated.

Kathy Jones, chief govt of the Fatherhood Institute, stated she welcomed most of the findings of the report, however stated “households should not have to attend till the subsequent Parliament for this to come back in”.

The federal government stated its forthcoming assessment, which is due earlier than mid-July, would have a look at all present parental go away entitlements.

A spokesperson added it’s already within the means of making certain dads not must be employed for 26 weeks to be entitled to paternity go away.

“This authorities is dedicated to creating positive mother and father obtain the very best assist to steadiness their work and residential lives,” they stated.

Extra reporting from George Walker.