The United Kingdom’s paternity leave system has recently been criticized for being one of the least generous in Europe. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the UK sits at a dismal 40th out of 43 countries regarding paternity leave benefits. The current statutory minimum offer is £187.18 per week. This paltry sum, which is only 1.9% of the total government spending on parental leave, poses major questions as to whether it would be accessible to low- and middle-income earners.
The situation has become much more dire. A new national survey of 2,000 Americans finds that three in five dads (64%) are concerned that most paternity leave requests come from those making above-average salaries. Fifty-eight percent of respondents agree with this assertion. They are deeply concerned that the lack of access to take time off with children is becoming an ever greater class divide.
The disparity in claims is stark. Of all 22,700 SPL claims submitted, only 1,200 were submitted by those in the bottom 50% of earners. That’s just a little over 5% of the $138 billion! Alarmingly, there were no paternity leave claims taken by fathers and partners in the bottom income quintile. Together, these data points paint a stark picture. For low- and middle-earners, it becomes difficult to spend necessary time with their newborn.
The average UK wage is now £37,800 a year. Just 9.5% of the 216,000 people who went on paternity leave in the 2024-25 year earned under that threshold. Giving fathers as little as 40% or less of the minimum wage is inherently a failing system, critics say.
Dozens of Member of Parliament’s (MPs) are moving to address the inequities behind paternity leave. They hope to raise all of these critical issues on the floor of the House of Commons during one session. The timing of that conversation is especially fitting, as it comes at the same time as International Men’s Day. As part of this special ice-breaker session, Tories and Labour MPs will tell their funniest stories. They want to show the UK’s paternity leave situation really is the “real joke.”
Alistair Strathern, an MP advocating for reform, noted, “There’s been a heartening recognition from the frontbench about the current inequities in the system, which almost hardwires a gendered approach to parenting.” He further acknowledged that while economic constraints are pertinent, “the recognition of the problem and the desire to do something about it are there.”
MP George Gabriel was equally dismissive of the paternity leave status quo. He stated, “It’s clear that who can afford to spend time with their kids is becoming a class issue,” adding that “a system that gives dads less than half the minimum wage is not designed to be used by working fathers and it’s outrageous that these folk are priced out of even the paltry two weeks offered by the UK. It’s a bad joke.”
As discussions continue, many hope for a reevaluation of paternity benefits that would allow fathers from all income levels to spend essential time with their newborns without financial strain.