New paternity pay for self employed High Peak dads announced for first time
High Peak MP Jon Pearce who has long campaigned for better paternity pay has welcomed the government’s decision to extend paternity pay to include self-employed fathers.
The announcement follows years of campaigning by Jon and other MPs, as well as a two-year campaign by Dad Shift and On The Tools, which has highlighted the financial barriers preventing self-employed dads from taking time off when their children are born.
Mr Pearce said: “People who work for themselves have been left out of paternity pay for too long, and I’m pleased the Government is putting that right.
“For local self-employed dads, this is help with the bills and a better chance to be at home with their new baby.
“I’ll make sure families here know what they can claim because in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis every penny matters to expecting families.” The new measure is worth up to £388.64 per qualifying parent, with around 70,000 self-employed dads across the country potentially eligible each year, including an estimated 80 in High Peak.
While welcoming the change, Jon and campaigners continue to call for wider improvements to statutory paternity leave.
With Dad Shift, Jon is campaigning for six weeks of statutory paternity leave paid at 90 per cent of earnings, giving more parents the opportunity to spend vital time with their newborn children without facing the same financial barriers.
In October Jon Pearce MP joined the campaigning group Dad Shift, fellow Labour MPs, leading national retailers and trade union USDAW in Parliament to make the case for improving paternity leave across the UK.
The parliamentary roundtable brought together representatives from Marks & Spencer and LEGO, alongside the Minister for the Future of Work, Kate Dearden MP, to discuss how better paternity leave can benefit working families and businesses.
Currently, statutory paternity leave in the UK is limited to up to two weeks, paid at £194.32 a week or 90 per cent of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
Self-employed fathers have previously been excluded from statutory paternity pay, leaving many facing a financial choice between taking time off to support their families and continuing to work.
Mr Pearce said: “This announcement is hugely welcome and a major milestone, but we still need to do more to help dads support their partners, bond with their babies, and take their first steps figuring out what it means to be a father.”
George Gabriel, co-founder of The Dad Shift, added: “Given all the costs expecting families face this is going to be a lifeline - a bit of room to breathe so self-employed dads and non-birthing parents can spend even a little time supporting their partners and bonding with their babies before heading out the door to pay the bills.
“Being a decent dad is one of the most important things a man can do, and the government deserves some credit for showing respect for the roles these self-employed dads can and want to play at home. We hope the government now takes the opportunity of the Parental Leave Review to go even further, and give every dad a decent amount of time paid at a rate they can afford to take when a baby arrives.”