Shared parental leave underused

Shared parental leave was used by only 13,100 couples last year, research by a law firm has found.

Commercial law firm EMW said the uptake of the policy increased by 23 per cent in the last financial year. According to figures from HMRC, 3,000 couples took shared parental leave in the year ending March 2016.

It has increased year on year, with 10,000 couples signing up in the year ending March 2019. However, even the most recent figures make up a small fraction compared with the nearly 650,000 women who claimed maternity pay in the same period.

EMW estimates only about 2 per cent of couples have made use of the scheme.

With shared leave, eligible parents can split up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay after having a baby.

This shared parental pay is paid at a maximum of £151.20 per week, the same rate as statutory maternity pay. However, with statutory maternity pay, new mothers are paid 90 per cent of their salary for the first six weeks with no maximum limit.

EMW has said more promotion of the shared parental leave scheme may be needed, as well as increasing the level of pay. They added that encouraging more couples to take shared pay and leave could less en the financial impact of maternity on women, allowing them to return to work earlier.