Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 30
30
Accepted
Review maternity legislation for self-employed women and tailor policies to support entrepreneurial aspirations.
Recommendation
Self-employed women (and those employed via their small business) are poorly served by the UK’s parental leave arrangements. As part of its Parental Leave and Pay Review, the Government should review legislation 57 pertaining to maternity through the lens of a self-employed woman and seek to tailor policies to support women’s entrepreneurial aspirations. (Recommendation, Paragraph 126)
Government Response Summary
The government confirms its Parental Leave and Pay review, launched on 1 July 2025 and running for 18 months, will consider parental leave and pay for all parents, including the self-employed, and assess fairness and equality across employment statuses, directly addressing the recommendation.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
We know that the arrival of a child whether through birth or adoption, is a transformative time in a family’s life. We also know the current system could be improved to better support working families. The Parental Leave and Pay review, co-led by the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Work Pensions, launched on 1 July 2025, presents a much-needed opportunity to consider our approach to the system of parental leave and pay for all parents including for the self-employed. The review is designed to build on our evidence base and assess how well the current system is working and will help identify where there may be opportunities for improvement. It will also consider fairness and equality across employment statuses, as well as the practical implications for employers and employees. We expect the review to run for a period of 18 months. Decisions on reform or legislation will depend on the findings of the review, ministerial priorities, and the wider fiscal context. This review supports the Government commitment to raise living standards for working families including for those who do not currently qualify for existing leave entitlements, such as self-employed parents.