Just 10,600, fewer than 2% of new fathers, took shared parental leave (SPL) over the past 10 years, according to new research by The Dad Shift.
The research has been published to coincide with the 10-year anniversary of the introduction of SPL, through which mothers can share their leave allowance with their partners.
It found that the number only grew by 400 this year, and at this rate, it will take 490 years to get to a full uptake of the policy.
Three-fifths (60%) of those claiming the leave are among the top 20% of UK earners, while lower earners take home just 5.2% of the SPL paid out by the government. In addition, more SPL was claimed in London than Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the North West and East combined.
Furthermore, £40.8 million was spent by the government in SPL payments in London, which was more than the total paid in Scotland (£9.9 million), Wales (£5.9 million), Northern Ireland (£2.9 million), the north west (£15.3 million), and the north east (£4.8 million) combined.
A majority (90%) of dads said that fathers these days want to be a bigger part of their children’s lives, while 86% of parents agree that it is better when both parents have opportunities to be equally active caregivers, and 81% think that a good father is actively involved in childcare as well as providing for his family.
Alex Lloyd Hunter, co-founder of The Dad Shift said: “The UK has the worst statutory paternity leave in Europe, just two weeks on less than half the minimum wage. Shared parental leave was meant to help change things, but a policy that pays virtually no money, is ridiculously complex to administer, and requires men to take leave away from the mothers of their children didn’t work all that well.
“Our current system is not just broken but elitist too. More SPL is claimed in London than half the UK and 60% of it goes to the country’s top earners. Whether they’re well off or not, British dads want and deserve a meaningful chunk of properly paid time off so they can bond with their babies and be there for their partners.”
