Kinship Carers: Statutory Paid Employment Leave

Julie Minns Excerpts

Tuesday 20th October 2026 Westminster Hall

[Melanie Onn]

I could not agree more. Independent analysis commissioned by the Family Rights Group says that paid kinship leave could return over £2 into the economy for every £1 invested, so double the support provided to these families goes back into the local economy.

[Ms Julie Minns (Carlisle) (Lab)]

My hon. Friend is being very generous with her time. I want to go further on the point about investment and the comparison between kinship care and foster care that she mentioned earlier. One of my constituents has been a kinship carer for three children for nine years. She is also a foster carer for her grandson. She reports that because of his legal status, it has been easier for her to access the support she needs for him than for the three children she cares for as a kinship carer. Does my hon. Friend agree that introducing paid employment leave for kinship carers is not about special treatment, but about equal treatment?

[Melanie Onn]

I do. We should hold that in our minds as we go forward and look into the review in more detail. We are looking at the issue of equal treatment for all families and making sure that some are not treated differently to others.

I am aware of my time coming to a close; the Minister will want to respond to the many points that have been made. There have been some good examples of private companies, including Tesco and B&Q, two really big retail employers, that have already recognised the need for change ahead of the curve and offer paid kinship leave. Around 76%—three quarters—of employers support a Government-funded statutory entitlement. It is clear that there is more to be done to help kinship families to contribute economically and realise financial security.

There are some practical questions about how a statutory entitlement would work, particularly when caring arrangements happen suddenly. There are credible proposals and we have a real opportunity to make meaningful progress. We can give kinship carers a statutory right to paid employment leave akin to that of adoptive and other working parents. That would keep thousands of carers out of the welfare system, helping to reduce strain on it. It would return economic benefits through carers remaining in employment with higher tax revenue and better outcomes for children. Most importantly, it would give children the protected time they deserve to heal from trauma and settle into their new homes. It is therefore crucial that the Government’s parental leave and pay review finally closes this unfair gap in the law and delivers the first ever statutory right to pay and leave for kinship carers.

A great deal has been achieved. The Government deserve recognition for already having taken some important steps, but we can do much more, not least ensuring that carers have the time and financial security to be able to provide kinship care.