Bectu welcomes paternity allowance for self-employed dads following campaign

Following pressure and campaigning from Bectu and other groups, the Government has announced that it is extending parental pay to more than 150,000 additional parents per year, including self-employed dads and partners who have previously missed out.

Eligible parents will now be entitled to two weeks of paternity pay worth up to £194 per week.

Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said: “Self-employed and freelance workers are too often excluded from basic employment protections, and this is a big step forwards for Bectu’s campaign to make sure that all workers feel the benefit of good rights at work.

“This is not just a win for self-employed dads and partners, but for children and families more generally who lose out when one parent can’t afford to take any time off work when a baby is born.

“There is still a long way to go to strengthen employment protections for freelancers and the self-employed, but this early signal of intent from the new government will be welcomed by our members.”