What this indicator measures

This indicator assesses parental leave provisions available to parents, including pay levels, eligibility, support for shared parenting and the extent to which policies enable parents to balance care and employment. It also considers how parental leave affects gender equality and the distribution of care within households.

Key findings

• Statutory maternity leave provides 39 weeks of paid leave, but payment after the first six weeks is low, making extended leave unaffordable for many women
  
• Statutory paternity leave offers only two weeks of paid leave, limiting opportunities for fathers or partners to share care
  
• Payment rates contribute to the gender pay gap and reinforce traditional divisions of care
  
• Families with young children face high poverty rates
• Adoption leave mirrors maternity leave, but financial barriers remain the same
• Lack of robust enforcement and limited public reporting reduce accountability and limit progress

Impacts on families

Low levels of statutory pay mean many mothers take on significant financial strain during maternity leave and often return t work earlier or under greater pressure than planned. This contributes to long term gender inequality in earnings and savings. Fathers and partners face barriers to taking leave due to low pay and limited entitlement, reducing opportunities for equal sharing of care. These factors affect family wellbeing and increase the burden on mothers as primary caregivers.

Accessibility considerations

Financial barriers limit access for low-income families, who cannot afford to rely on statutory pay. The accessibility and reach of parental leave policies has considerable scope for improvement.

Budget context

The value of statutory maternity and paternity pay does not reflect living costs. Without reforms to increase payment levels, families will continue to struggle financially during periods of parental leave. Scotland has limited scope to address these gaps through devolved budgets, as core entitlements remain responsibility of the UK Government.

Lived experience

“I went on maternity leave with no savings. My income dropped so low that I had to use credit cards to cover basic bills.”
Parent quoted in SWBG Women’s Survey 2024.

Overall interpretation

Parental leave policy provides a basic framework, but financial constraints significantly limit its impact. Low pay levels and short entitlements for fathers and partners reinforce gendered patterns of care, with women bearing most of the responsibility and financial consequences. Strengthening parental leave is essential to reducing child poverty, supporting family wellbeing and addressing gender inequality in work and care.