ADOPTION ALLOWANCE FOR SELF EMPLOYED PEOPLE

That this House recognises that people who adopt do so out of love and care and ought to receive parity in financial support to that of birth parents; further recognises that though there is such parity for employees, there is an unjustifiable inequality in financial support for self employed adopters; criticises the current system which offers no financial support for the self employed during adoption leave, unless the adopter qualifies for a discretionary payment through local authority means-testing; acknowledges that the financial strain incurred during adoption leave may reduce the number of potential adopters who are self employed; and, in recognition of the need for more adoptive parents, calls for the self employed to be included among those who qualify for adoption allowance and that the allowance should be brought into line with the maternity allowance, as recommended to the Government in February 2016 in the self-employment review by Julie Deane.