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Home Office: Kinship Care

Asked by Chris BlooreLabourHome OfficeTabled Answered 4 March 2025UIN 33190

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether their Department offers (a) paid time off work and (b) other support to employees who become kinship carers.

Answered by Dame Diana Johnson

Home Office employees who are carers have a statutory right to take up to a week’s unpaid leave in any rolling 12-month period to provide or arrange care for a dependant with a long-term care need. The statutory entitlement is for unpaid leave, but managers may at their discretion choose to offer up to 5 days per annum of paid special leave.

Other forms of support available for employees who are kinship carers are Emergency Leave for Dependants of up to 5 days, flexible working arrangements, job sharing, career breaks and Unpaid Parental Leave.

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