PCS pushes for progress on kinship leave in DWP
Groups and branches must campaign for those who give families vital support in emergencies.
Life can come at people very fast when a crisis happens. Kinship leave is designed for such, as kinship carers are individuals—often grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles or close family friends—who step in to care for children when their birth parents cannot. These carers often take on this responsibility in challenging, sudden circumstances, yet their vital role remains unrecognised in many workplace policies, including those in the DWP.
Unlike adoptive or foster carers, kinship carers often have no statutory right to paid leave when a child is placed in their care. PCS has long campaigned for fairer, more compassionate workplace policies across the civil service. We are seeking rights for all workers in every department and group across PCS.
In DWP group, a strong area of focus has been the push to recognise and support kinship carers through the introduction of formal kinship leave, in line with maternity support or adoption leave, as this is a gap in any equality, wellbeing and ethical commitment from the employer. This policy would not only acknowledge the reality of kinship care but also align with the department’s wider aims around inclusion, social justice, and support for families.
PCS has continued to press the department to treat this issue with urgency, particularly as more civil service departments—such as the Ministry of Justice and HMRC—begin to explore or pilot similar schemes.
“Kinship carers do the right thing, often at great personal sacrifice,” said a PCS DWP rep. “They should not be forced to use annual leave, go unpaid, or face disciplinary action for doing what’s best for a vulnerable child.”
We are confident our department will see sense and support our members who face this situation without employer support, as other areas have done already in the civil service. Meanwhile, support from members who have experience of kinship, in any capacity, will help us to press home our case.
Kinship leave is a vital and important right for our members to support family emergencies without losing financial stability. Fundamentally, it is a childcare right, placing the wellbeing of the child at the centre of any policy. Practically and ethically, it needs to happen. And PCS will fight to ensure it does.
If you’ve been affected by this issue, please share you experiences by email (subject: ‘Kinship leave’) with [email protected]. For workplace support, contact your local reps.