Parental pay will be extended to the self-employed father and partners in PM’s ‘everyday fixes’
The Government has announced measures intended to ease household costs, including extending parental pay to self-employed fathers and partners. The changes form part of Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s “everyday fixes” ahead of Wednesday’s Budget, though the expected savings on some groceries are modest.
A further 150,000 fathers or partners will become eligible for two weeks of support worth nearly £400. The Treasury also plans to keep the tax-free mileage rate at 55p for the first 10,000 miles and raise the rate above that to 35p, while removing import levies on some foods is expected to save shoppers about 40p a week. Separate reports say the minimum wage for workers aged 21 and over could rise by 3.9 per cent to £13.20 an hour; the rate for 18- to 20-year-olds is expected to reach £11.27.
In short
- Parental pay will cover 150,000 more fathers and partners.
- Self-employed recipients will get two weeks’ support worth nearly £400.
- Tariff changes are expected to cut grocery costs by about 40p a week.
Explained simply
Parental pay is money provided to help eligible people take time off when a child is born or adopted. In the UK, access to this support has depended partly on a person’s work status, so self-employed people may have different entitlements from employees.
The measures sit within the Government’s plans for household costs and work, led by Prime Minister Andy Burnham and the Treasury. They matter because changes to parental support, travel expenses and food charges can affect family finances, though the impact will vary between households.
The Budget is the Government’s statement on taxes and public spending, and can set out or confirm policy changes. Pay rules and support for new parents are among the issues that shape how much people take home and what help they can claim.