Source · Select Committees · Women and Equalities Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Deferred
Introduce a Paternity Allowance equivalent to Maternity Allowance for self-employed fathers
Recommendation
Lack of provision for self-employed parents, particularly fathers and other parents, is a key flaw in the system. Given the substantial economic contribution of self-employed fathers, it is grossly unfair to exclude them. Lack of provision causes financial hardship and associated family difficulties, notably where a self-employed father “does the right thing” in taking time away from earning to care for his partner after a caesarean section or medical complications after birth. The Government must aim to rectify this by: a) considering options for providing statutory paid leave for all self-employed and non-employee working fathers as part of its review of the parental leave system; including, b) introducing a Paternity Allowance 57 equivalent to Maternity Allowance, which provides self-employed mothers with up to 39 weekly payments at the statutory rate; and c) rectifying unfairness in the existing Maternity Allowance rules, including in relation to permitted paid self-employed work beyond 10 “keeping in touch” days while in receipt of the allowance, as identified in our recent follow up Report on misogyny in music, to ensure unfairness is not replicated in provision for self-employed fathers. (Recommendation, Paragraph 67)
Government Response Summary
The government thanks the committee for highlighting the "A Better Start" campaign and mentions expanding the Family Hubs programme, but generally defers the specific recommendations for statutory paid leave and a Paternity Allowance for self-employed fathers, and rectifying Maternity Allowance rules, to its ongoing parental leave and pay review and call for evidence.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
As part of its review, the Government should consider the evidence on the effectiveness of initiatives such as A Better Start partnerships in supporting men to take a greater caring role. It should consider the benefits of commissioning schemes of this nature across the country. The government values the important role fathers and partners play in both caring for their children and supporting the mother after having a child. We recognise that parental leave and pay entitlements, such as Paternity Leave and Pay, play a key role in this. We thank the committee for highlighting the “A Better Start” campaign and it’s aims to support more gender equal parenting. On 11 June, the Chancellor set out plans for spending and public sector reforms through the Spending Review 2025. This announcement confirmed departmental budgets for 2026–27 onwards and committed to invest in and expand the Family Hubs programme, working with parents to help give children the best start in life. The 75 areas currently participating in the programme receive funding to improve their parenting offer for expectant parents and/or those with babies ages 0–2 with a focus on promoting the importance of bonding and attachment. Local authorities have also commissioned evidence-based programmes to suit their local context – to support prospective parents for parenthood and promote the importance of bonding and attachment and the home learning environment for pre-school children. By focusing support on the home environment, parents (mothers/fathers and caregivers), and the quality of parent-child relationships, we are helping to give children the best start in life and delivering on the government’s Plan for Change, details of which are available on GOV.UK. There are several policy areas or initiatives which have clear links and interdependencies with the parental leave and pay system, including enforcement of employment rights, employment status and childcare provision. Whilst these go beyond the scope of the parental leave and pay review, we will consider the interactions with ongoing government work in these areas, limited to potential impacts from possible reforms to the parental leave and pay system. We will draw on the experience and evidence available across a wide range of stakeholders, both from groups representing parents and families, including trade unions, and with employers or employer representatives. Alongside the review, we also launched a call for evidence, open for eight weeks, to start this work. The parental leave and pay review will also support the government’s commitments to raising living standards and giving children the best start in life.