Self-employed Dads: why are they treated like second class cititens when it comes to Paternity pay?

In the UK, self-employed fathers of newborns get a raw deal. They face a significant disparity in parental benefits. That’s despite contributing to the tax system that funds paternity leave for employed individuals, something they are ineligible for.

The current UK policy offers employed fathers up to two weeks of paternity leave at a rate of £184.03 per week or 90% of their average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. However, self-employed fathers receive NO SUCH ENTITLEMENTS, leaving them without financial support during this critical time.

Why are self-employed fathers treated this way?

Bring whatever economic argument may have to the table, but when you boil it down, it would seem self-employed Dads are not valued enough by the government. Funny that, considering all the drum beating going on at Number 10 about entrepreneurial Great Britain and a call for economic growth. A flexible workforce is synonymous with growth.

Is there a presumed collective fear in Westminster that the likes of supply male teachers, freelance tech support, and tradespeople won’t be available to teach the nation, stop their computers from glitching or fix all those leaky sinks? Why are self-employed Dads treated this way yet salaried Dads are not?

Millions of self-employed Dads paying for others to benefit

This exclusion places self-employed fathers in a challenging position, often forcing them to choose between their professional responsibilities and the essential early bonding period with their newborns. In 2022, that was about 1.43 million men that would have been excluded taking into account that was the number of self-employed men aged between 16 and 59. All of them as taxpayers would have contributed to the paternity benefits of employed Dads.

Now that would not necessarily mean all of those men were expecting fathers. Yet it would eventually affect some fathers such as Jonathan, a self-employed music teacher in the UK, who feels guilty every time he heads out the door to work while his wife, who is also self-employed, must take on all childcare responsibilities while suffering from exhaustion and postnatal depression.

If a self-employed father has a job that cannot be home-based and wants to help out with caring for their newborn, they have to take a financial hit, according to a report by The I Paper, which shared Jonathan’s personal account.  

This is in contrast to other parts of Europe, such as Spain, which provides a more inclusive approach. As of 1 January 2021, Spain has equalised paternity and maternity leave, granting both parents 16 weeks of paid leave. This policy, for example, applies to both employed and self-employed individuals, ensuring that all parents have the opportunity to bond with their children without financial strain. Fathers can apply for this paternity leave whether they become a father through the birth of a new child, adoption or foster care. The paternity leave can only be applied for by individuals and is non-transferable.

No shared leave either

For example, if you are employed and entitled to Statutory Maternity Leave and Statutory Maternity Pay (or Maternity Allowance) in the UK then if your partner wishes to split up their leave e.g. return to work for a period and then take a further period of leave, then your partner may be entitled to curtail her Maternity Leave and Maternity Pay and choose to receive Shared Parental Leave and Shared Parental Pay instead. However, according to Working Families, “self-employed persons are not eligible for shared parental leave or shared parental pay.”

With more people going freelance this policy is outdated

The UK’s current stance arguably not only underscores a disparity in support for self-employed fathers and their families but also highlights a broader issue of inclusivity within parental leave policies and the self-employed. Reevaluating these policies to encompass self-employed individuals would promote fairness and acknowledge the nature of the modern workforce.

Have you been affected by non-paid Paternity Leave?