Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2017 to Question 105717, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending statutory adoption leave to people who are self-employed.

The government set out in its response to the Taylor Review of modern employment practices (published on 7 February 2018) that, while it agrees with the principle of equalising benefits for the self-employed, it is right only to consider making changes to this area once we have carefully assessed this in the wider context of tax, benefits and rights over the longer term.

In contrast to employees, self-employed adopters do not need a statutory entitlement to adoption leave as they are able to decide themselves how much time off work they take and when.

Where adopters do not qualify for family related statutory pay because they are self-employed, local authorities may make a payment equivalent to Maternity Allowance. This is discretionary and subject to means testing to ensure resources are targeted at those who need it the most.

Since 2010, we have taken significant steps to equalise the state benefits provided to the employed and self-employed, including giving the self-employed access to the full rate of the new State Pension for the first time, (worth up to £1,900/year more).