CVAA response to the government’s parental leave and pay consultation

We recommended:

• Extending every parental benefit available to self-employed biological parents—including statutory maternity allowance and shared parental leave—to self-employed adoptive parents.
• Introducing an enhanced adoption-leave package that accounts for pre-placement introduction meetings and post-placement bonding time for both parents.
• Ensuring that employed adopters earning below the adoption-pay threshold can access the same maternity-allowance equivalent available to biological parents.

Voices from Adopters

“Being self-employed comes with a lot of challenges. We work hard, take risks, create jobs, and help build up the economy every day. But when major life events like having a child or adopting come along, we’re often left with limited choices or without support—unlike employees, we don’t always get paid leave, and if we work less, we earn less. It can feel like our hard work and contributions aren’t valued by our government. If the UK truly wants to support business and the entrepreneurial spirit, it needs to extend adoption and maternity leave rights to the self-employed, so we’re not forced to choose between our families and our livelihoods. There are over 4 million self-employed people in the UK. It’s time government policies caught up and made things fair for everyone, whether you’re employed or self-employed.” — Prospective adopter

“I have been self-employed since 2014 and in that time, my wife and I have had two birth children and are currently going through the adoption process. Under current legislation, I am not entitled to any paternity benefits. Given I am self-employed, if I do not work, I do not get paid so taking paternity leave puts added strain on our family finances. I find this incredibly unfair given the amount of tax I pay via a combination of Income Tax, Dividend Tax, Corporation Tax and VAT means I am likely to pay more tax than someone who would do a similar job to mine as a permanent employee. It is another example of self-employed people being penalised despite contributing the same, if not more in tax.” — Approved adopter

“As a self-employed individual currently going through the adoption process, I fully support the push for a change in Government policy to ensure that self-employed people have access to adoption and maternity leave. The current lack of statutory support creates a significant inequality between employed and self-employed individuals. For adopters like myself, it means facing the emotional and financial pressures of early parenthood without the safety net that employed parents are entitled to. This is especially challenging during the critical bonding period, when being fully present for the child is essential for their development and attachment. Self-employed people contribute substantially to the economy, pay taxes, and are expected to meet the same standards in the adoption process as anyone else. Yet we are denied basic parental support at a time when it’s most needed. For many, this policy gap can delay or even deter them from adopting altogether—not because of a lack of willingness or capability, but because of unsustainable practical realities. Providing fair and inclusive support would not only reduce unnecessary stress on adoptive families, but would also widen the pool of potential adopters—something that is clearly needed given the number of children waiting for permanent homes.” — Prospective solo adopter

CVAA will continue to monitor the government’s response to this consultation and will engage further to ensure adoptive families—whatever their employment status—receive the support they deserve.