MP pushes for early resolution on adoption pay

MP Lisa Smart has challenged the ministers in charge of the Parental Leave Review to tackle the unfair nature of adoption pay for self-employed parents ahead of their current 2027 deadline.

The Liberal Democrat MP sat down with ministers Andrew Western and Kate Dearden who are leading the review and asked them for quicker progress on what is a clearly unfair part of parental leave.

The MP for Hazel Grove, Lisa Smart, said: “It is patently unfair that people who are employed by someone else get support when they adopt a child that people who are self-employed do not. 

“While I understand that there are lots of things that need to be addressed about parental leave, it should be clear that this needs to be fixed, and if we have to wait until 2027, that means months or years before people who desperately want to become parents get the support they deserve. 

The Government have been supportive in principle of changing the rules around adoption pay to make it fairer, but have put off any decisions to form part of the parental leave review, and have made no solid commitments. 

Lisa Smart added: “As an adoptive auntie, I have seen first-hand the care that adoptive parents give as they create a new family. The lack of financial support from government for self-employed adopters is patiently unfair and it should be fixed as soon as possible.”