BOLTON fathers on low incomes will soon be able to get financial help to spend time with their baby.
New dads that earn below the Lower Earnings Limit for National Insurance -- currently £72 a week -- and others on low incomes, would not have previously qualified for paid leave.
But the government is planning to amend Income Support regulations so that around 30,000 lower-paid fathers are able to top-up their income to a minimum of £130 a week during their two weeks paternity leave. The move has been welcomed by Bolton West MP Ruth Kelly, who says it is an important change.
"It is right that every dad should be able to spend time with his newborn child, regardless of their income," she said. It will help working parents find a better balance between work and the family. This is particularly important when a new baby arrives."
The Employment Bill is currently being debated in the House of Lords and, if passed into law, the change will come into effect from April 2003.
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