Gavin Newlands MP calls for more support for bereaved parents

Mr Newlands spoke in a debate on bereavement leave, calling for at two weeks – as an absolute minimum – of statutory paid leave to be awarded to parents who lose a child. Currently there is no statutory leave awarded to parents who experience the death of a child.

The Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire North also called on the UK Government to reassess their ‘simplification’ of the Bereavement Support Payment as it’s failing to support those on low incomes.

Gavin Newlands, SNP MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, said:

“I cannot begin to imagine the unimaginable pain that a parent must experience when they lose a child.

“Shockingly, parents who lose a child are not provided with any statutory leave from their jobs. I welcome the plans that are in place to introduce a statutory requirement for paid leave in the event of a death of the child and hope that we can try to deliver the very best level of support to parents that have lost a child.

“The UK Government must also address issues surrounding the new Bereavement Payment Support system for low income families as this new system has resulted in 75% of claimants being worse off than under the previous system.

“We must provide all support necessary to parents who lose a child and to do so in a way that doesn’t require the parent to navigate a complicated administrative process.”