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Bereavement Leave

Asked by Freddie van MierloLiberal DemocratDepartment for Business and TradeTabled Answered 5 January 2026UIN 101288

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of making statutory bereavement leave paid.

Answered by Kate Dearden

The loss of a loved one is one of the hardest things a person can experience. This is why we have introduced a new right to bereavement leave in the Employment Rights Act which will be available to those grieving the loss of a loved one, including pregnancy loss before 24 weeks.

The Act deals with the introduction of leave only, and we are consulting further on the detail of the entitlement to ensure it supports employees while remaining proportionate for employers. It will remain at employers' discretion to offer pay, as many already do.

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