Plans to introduce paid ?granny and grandpa leave?
Monday, October 5th, 2015
Chancellor George Osbourne has annouced that grandparents will be able to take paid parental leave when they have a new grandchild.
Black Country MP Mike Wood agrees with the plan, he said ?This will be a big help to families. I know that my parents did a huge amount to help look after my two children.?
The policy will allow mums and dads to share parental leave with working grandparents. This means that grandparents will have a legal right to take time off work and will receive an income.
Mothers were entitled to maternity leave, this has now changed and is now called parental leave as it is now shared between mums and dads. This will allow families to decide for themselves who will return to work and when.
KNBP agree with this plan and want to help push the idea further. The Chancellor explains, extending parental leave to grandparents would be a particular help to single parents, who currently cannot choose to share leave with a partner. Nearly two million grandparents ? 14 per cent ? currently give up work, reduce their hours or take time off work to help take care of grandchildren, according to Government research.
Parents will be able to share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of parental leave pay, currently £139.58 a week or 90 per cent of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, with a nominated working grandparent. Leave must be taken by the child?s first birthday, and any remaining is then lost. The Government will consult on the change in the law in the first half of next year.
This change will hopefully make life easier for grandparents and for parents. Mr Osbourne said: ?More than half of mothers rely on grandparents for childcare when they first return to work after having a baby. In many families, grandparents play a central role in caring for their grandchildren and helping to keep down the costs of childcare.
?Increasing numbers of grandparents, however, also want to remain in work themselves. Research shows? two million grandparents have either given up a job, reduced their hours or taken time off work to look after their grandchildren.
?Allowing them instead to share leave with their children will keep thousands more in the workplace, which is good for our economy. This is a modern Conservative policy that backs working families and gives them the freedom to choose what will work best for them.?
As a charity we believe shared parenting is important, providing parental leave for grandparents will not only encourage positive child development but will reduce stress for all parties.
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