March 9, 2026
Six weeks paternity allowance for self-employed and other dads could boost economy by £3 billion
Introducing a new six-week paternity allowance to support self employed and ‘worker’ fathers would generate a series of benefits worth nearly £3 billion per year to the UK, research has found. The proposal, published in a new Institute for Policy Research (IPR) policy brief, argues that providing paid leave for self-employed and worker fathers – including contractors or those in gig-economy roles – at the Statutory Paternity Pay rate (£187.18 per week) would deliver significant economic and wellbeing benefits for families and for UK society as a whole. (more…)















One of the most significant consequences of the 2008 economic crash was a remarkable shift 
Research released by 
Two and a half million Brits are expected to be unemployed this year after the fall out of the pandemic. A concern for many has been how disabled people will fare with the aftermath. The unemployment rate for people with disabilities is more than twice those who are able bodied. 
Unemployed over 50s are two and a half times as likely as younger age groups to be out of work for at least two years, according to new analysis from 
Financial distress is more damaging to the wellbeing of the self-employed than those in employment, claims new research from 




