7th September 2026 • My Family Our Needs
The children’s commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, has said that parents of children who are seriously ill or disabled should get paid leave from work.
The commissioner called on the government to introduce a legal right to 12 weeks of paid leave at 90% of normal pay.
She argued that this change would lift the pressure felt by parents of seriously ill or disabled children and make up for lost earnings families face when a child develops a debilitating condition.
This intervention came as the government consulted on how to financially support families and unpaid carers looking after ill children in England, Scotland and Wales.
Rachel de Souza said, ‘parents should not be forced to choose between being at their seriously ill child’s bedside and keeping their job.’
She discussed how parents have told her of the impossible choices they have had to make when trying to split their time between caring for their seriously ill or disabled children and holding down a job.
The children’s commissioner has also backed the right to return to work following extended periods of leave, arguing that it could help parents stay employed while providing care to their children with complex or fluctuating needs.
The commissioner has also called for carer’s leave to be increased from five to ten days a year in addition to introducing a form of paid carer’s leave.
It comes after campaigning by the parents of Hugh Menai-Davis, who died of cancer aged six in 2021.
His parents Frances and Ceri Menai-Davis have advocated for a change to employment law that would require employers to guarantee three months’ salaries to parents whose child faces serious physical or mental illness.
Ceri-Menai-Davis said on LinkedIn, ‘I am incredibly grateful to Dame Rachel de Souza for backing our call. Her intervention adds significant weight to the growing support behind Hugh’s Law.
‘Parents should never have to choose between keeping a roof over their family’s head and being beside their seriously ill child. What a legacy this would be and what security it would bring families whose world had collapsed in a moment.’
Minister for the Future of Work, Kate Dearden, said, ‘Serious childhood illness is a heartbreaking situation for families.
‘I’ve been incredibly moved by the powerful stories we have heard, and we will move quickly to consider how we can strengthen support and employment rights for families facing serious childhood illness.’
In other news, the Government has announced that disabled people in England are to get free 24-hour bus travel from April 2027.