Closed petition: Implement a ‘Statutory Dependents Pay’ for being off with your sick child

Closed on 14 September 2025

I’d like the government to implement a ‘Statutory Dependents Pay’ for parents who have to take time off work if their child is poorly. This could be like ‘sick pay’, but for parents who have to go off work with their sick child. I'd like it to be more consistent than sick pay and start from day 1.

Currently, if a child who attends nursery falls ill (short term), they still have to have their nursery fees paid for the days they are off. Parents who take time off to take care of their sick child don’t get statutory pay for this.

Even if a child is in school or eligible for nursery funding, missing out on a weeks pay due to a situation out of their control can be detrimental to some families. I feel that the current situation is unfair on working parents.