Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, how many people received statutory paternity pay in the latest year for which figures are available; what the total cost to the Exchequer of such pay was; and for what average length of time such pay was received.

The Government collects data on the total amount of Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay and Additional Statutory Paternity Pay paid to employees by employers and uses this to estimate the numbers taking paternity pay, and the size of the average claim. Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay and Additional Statutory Paternity Pay are payable at the lesser of 90% of salary or the statutory flat rate (£135.45 in 2012/13, currently £138.18).

The latest available figures are as follows:

Note: All figures are estimates using the HMRC CANDIF database. Figures are calculated using a 3% scan of employer National Insurance returns and scaling the results up to create a 100% estimate. Scan conducted in June 2014.

HMRC estimates do not include the average length of time that this pay is received.