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Parental Bereavement Leave: Payment Scheme

A formal published “Ministerial Decision” is required as a record of the decision of a Minister (or an Assistant Minister where they have delegated authority) as they exercise their responsibilities and powers.

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  • demonstrating that good governance, and clear lines of accountability and authority, are in place around decisions-making – including the reasons and basis on which a decision is made, and the action required to implement a decision

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A decision made 13 March 2024:

Decision Reference:  MD-SOSEC-2024-194

Public

Subject: Parental Bereavement Leave - Payment Scheme

 

Report Title: Parental Bereavement Leave - Payment Guidelines

Public

Decision(s):

The Minister for Social Security decided to make payments to parents (including step-parents) who suffer the death of a child under 18 years of age (including children stillborn after 24 weeks' gestation) who are taking unpaid parental bereavement leave under the Employment law or are self-employed.

Reason for Decision(s):

This Ministerial Decision approves the guidelines for the payment scheme, which will be established on a non-statutory basis and will come into effect on Monday 18th March 2024. Payments will be a one-off lump sum, equal to up 2 weeks (per parent) of the Jersey Mean Average weekly earnings for a full-time equivalent (FTE) employee. Data to be taken from the Average Earnings Report published each year by Statistics Jersey. In 2023, this value was £920 per week.

Resource Implications: There are no new manpower implications arising from this scheme. The approximate maximum cost of the non-statutory scheme (based on recent statistics of approximately ten child deaths (including stillbirths) per year and up to 40 working parents receiving a payment) is £70,000 a year – this will be drawn from existing Customer and Local Services Income Support budgets.

 

Action Required: Policy Principal to liaise with the Work and Family Hub Manager to implement the payment scheme.

Signature:

 

 

Signed By: Minister for Social Security

Date Signed:

 

 

Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

 

 

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