A Lost Decade for UK Shared Parental Leave: Uptake Remains Low and Benefits Mostly Wealthier Families
Data obtained via Freedom of Information requests show that from 2020 to 2025 across NHS England, Scotland and Wales, HMRC, the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Work and Pensions, only 4,264 of 274,755 parental leave requests, or 1.55%, were for Shared Parental Leave (SPL).
A 2023 Conservative government evaluation found that just 1% of eligible mothers and 5% of eligible fathers used SPL. Analysis by Dad Shift of HMRC data for 2024–25 indicates that 95% of SPL was claimed by fathers in the top half of earners (those earning above £37,800), with participation among lower-paid dads decreasing since SPL's introduction. Whereas roughly one in ten average or low-paid dads used SPL in 2015, the figure has dropped to about one in twenty.
Experts suggest SPL mainly benefits wealthier families in the south-east of the UK and has not significantly expanded time with babies for most working fathers and non-birthing parents. The uptake and duration of paternal leave have shown little growth since 2015, leading commentators to describe this period as a 'lost decade' for parental rights.
In July 2025, the government launched an 18-month review of parental leave. MPs have warned that minor adjustments will not fix what they see as a broken system, and the Women and Equalities Select Committee called the review a watershed moment. Kate Dearden, minister for employment rights, acknowledged that the system needs improvement and cited both the review and the workers' rights bill, which aims to make paternity leave a day-one right.
Jo Swinson, who introduced SPL in 2015, described the low take-up as disappointing and called for bold changes. She criticized the current requirement for women to give up maternity leave for SPL and the absence of ringfenced leave exclusively for fathers. Baroness JoJo Penn argued that after ten years, SPL has not delivered on its promise. She emphasized that about half a million new parents each year deserve access to proper leave and cautioned against expecting real change to come solely from the review.
