Shared Parental Leave For Self-Employed Contractors

The Shared Parental Leave and Pay (Extension) Bill was introduced to the House of Commons on 21 February 2018 by Tracy Brabin MP. If passed, the Bill would extend Shared Parental Leave (SPL) rights to self-employed contractors by allowing them to share maternity allowance (currently available to self-employed mothers instead of statutory maternity pay) in the same way employed parents share SPL pay. The Bill aims to create parity between the traditionally employed and the self-employed in their ability to share SPL with their spouse or partner.

Under the existing legislation, a self-employed mother is entitled to a maternity allowance of £140.98 a week for 39 weeks if they have paid class 2 national insurance for at least 13 of the 66 weeks before their child is due. Maternity allowance is paid only to mothers, but it is withdrawn if the freelance mother does any work beyond the statutory 10 "keeping in touch" days that she is allowed. Under the Bill, self-employed