Deputy PM Angela Rayner said a major review into the parental leave and pay system would leave ‘no stone unturned’ as it looks to improve the situation for families
Millions of families could benefit from a better start for their children as the government launches a major review of the parental leave and pay system.
Maternity and paternity leave in Britain has long been criticised, with them being shorter and worse paid than most comparable countries. Deputy PM Angela Rayner said the landmark review would leave “no stone unturned” as it looks to improve the situation for families.
The Government said its review will look at the whole system, including maternity and paternity leave, as well as shared parental leave. It will gather views from parents, employers and experts across the country.
Officials said the birth of a child should be a time for new mothers to rest and recover and for both parents to bond with their baby and adjust to a new way of life. But the government admitted the system is “complicated and doesn’t always give families the support they need”.
READ MORE: Dads should be entitled to six weeks well-paid paternity leave, major study calls
The Commons’ Women and Equalities’ Committee last month said any government review must address the “fundamental failings” of the parental leave system head on. It warned that working parents “will be let down by a review that leads only to tinkering around the edges of the system”.
MPs on the committee said the UK’s rate of statutory parental pay is “completely out of kilter with the cost of living” and has not kept pace with inflation. They also called on ministers to set out a pathway to raising paid statutory paternity leave to six weeks over the course of this Parliament to address the “stark gendered disparity” in the UK’s system.
One in three dads don’t take paternity leave because they can’t afford to, and take-up of shared parental leave remains very low, according to official stats. Currently, fathers in the UK are entitled to just two weeks of leave, with eligible dads receiving £187.18 a week or 90% of average earnings, whichever is lower.
The committee also called for access to shared parental leave to be widened, with the current system branded “extremely difficult for most parents and their employers to understand”.
Research shows that better parental leave can help close the gender pay gap and boost the economy by billions of pounds. A study by the University of Bath yesterday found that increasing leave for fathers in the first year of a newborn’s life could deliver net social benefits of up to £12.8billion annually.
The announcement of the review comes as Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson yesterday said she wanted more young people to have children, if they choose. She said the falling birthrate was “a trend which has worrying repercussions for society in the future, but tells a story, heartbreakingly, about the dashed dreams of many families”.
The Cabinet minister told the Telegraph that her “number-one priority” is improving our early years system so that families are able to access services and advice from day one.
Announcing the review, Ms Rayner said: “Those early years are the most special time for families, but too many struggle to balance their work and home lives. Supporting working parents isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s vital for our economy.
“Through our Plan to Make Work Pay, we’re already improving the parental leave system with new day 1 rights. This ambitious review will leave no stone unturned as we deliver for working families.”
Rachel Grocott, chief executive of Pregnant then Screwed: “It is great to see this long overdue review of the parental leave system. It’s time for the voices of mums, dads, parents and carers everywhere to be heard. After 6 weeks mothers are forced to survive maternity leave on 44% less than the National Minimum Wage, and dads are forced to suck up the same benefits for their 2 weeks.
“Yet we know improving parental leave helps children get the best start in life, as well as being better for parents’ heath and equality at home, and closing gender pay and participation gaps in the workplace too. Investing in parental leave will pay back above and beyond, to the bottom line and to society: it really is a no-brainer.”
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