how parental leave discriminates against single parents
The UK’s parental leave system is designed around two parent families. Because maternity, paternity, adoption and other leave entitlements are attached to each parent, single parents who are raising a child alone can only access one parent’s entitlement, despite carrying the responsibilities of two parents. This leaves single fathers who are raising a child alone unable to access anything beyond two weeks of statutory paternity leave unless the mother has died, while solo mums are unable to have someone take leave to support them during the first weeks of new motherhood.
Once parents return to work, this unfairness continues. Two parent families can access twice the amount of unpaid parental leave as solo parent families. The same applies to neonatal care leave. While two parent families can access leave through both parents, single parents are limited to a single entitlement. These inequalities increase stress and financial pressures for single parent families who are already managing with one pair of hands and one income.
You can use our template letter below to write to your MP to ask them to support our campaign for this to change.
what needs to change
We are calling on the UK government to use its parental leave review to end the discrimination against single parent families. Single parents who are solely responsible for a child’s care should be able to access the leave entitlements available to both parents. Where preferred, they should also be able to transfer all or part of that leave entitlement to a nominated caregiver, such as a grandparent, sibling or close family friend.
Several countries already recognise single parents’ rights to full parental leave entitlements, including Spain, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. Many of these also allow single parents to transfer their leave to another caregiver.
write to your mp to push for change
It takes just two minutes to ask your MP to support fair parental leave for single parents. The more MPs who hear from their constituents, the harder it becomes for the government to ignore us. You will need your MP’s name and email. Find them here using your postcode. It takes about 30 seconds.
your letter
Select the text below and paste it into an email to your MP.
“Dear [insert MP name],
I am a member of your constituency and I am writing to you as [insert something personal here e.g. a single parent/ a single parent ally/ an adult raised by a single parent] about the discrimination that single parents face within the parental leave system.
As it stands a solo caring father can't access anything beyond two weeks of statutory paternity pay unless the mother has died. Meanwhile solo mothers can't access any paternity leave nor transfer it to someone to support them during the post birth recovery period.
Once parents are back at work, single parent families lose out again. Unpaid parental leave for a single parent family is half that of a two parent family.
Many countries allow single parents to access the leaves entitlements of both parents. This includes Spain, Sweden, Norway and Finland. Many also allow single parents to transfer part, or all, of this leave entitlement to another caregiver. Yet the UK doesn't allow either of these options for single parents. This leaves children in single parent families with less time with a primary carer at home, and adds stress and financial burden to single parent families.
Research from the campaign group Single Parent Rights found that 95% of single parents wanted these changes to be made to parental leave in the UK.
I'm writing to ask you as my MP to raise the issue with ministers and ensure that the government's parental leave review addresses this unfairness and allows single parents who aren't sharing care to access both parents parental leave entitlements or transfer them to another friend or family member where that is the preferred option.
I look forward to hearing from you on this matter.
Yours sincerely,
[insert name and postcode (your MP won’t be able to respond unless you can show you are a constituent of theirs)]”
how to make your letter stand out
MPs’ offices see a lot of identical campaign emails. What they notice is a constituent writing about their own life. One or two sentences is plenty.
Why does parental leave matter to you?
What have you experienced that made you care?
TAKE further ACTIONs for single parent families
Every email helps show MPs that this issue matters. After contacting your MP, visit our Take Action page to see other ways you can help secure fair treatment for single parent families.