More paternity pay applications than maternity for first time in history

PATERNITY leave spending has exceeded maternity payments this year for the first time ever, according to Spain's Social Security office.

In the first three months of 2018, the department handled 62,832 maternity leave applications, a fall of 8.1% on the same period in 2017.

By comparison, paternity pay applications grew to 64,505 between January and March inclusive, representing a 4.8% fall year on year.

The ministry of employment, which the National Social Security Institute (INSS) forms part of, says these figures show a 'clear cultural change' in childcare.

But the actual amounts paid out continue to be higher for mums, given that they have four months off work compared with dads' four weeks.

Maternity pay in the first quarter of 2018 totalled €363.6 million, whilst paternity pay came to €101.9m.

This said, the increase in payments for maternity leave was just 0.9% year on year, whilst paternity pay rose by 28%.

Part of this is likely to be because in the first quarter of 2017, dads only had two weeks' leave to care for newborns or newly-adopted children – a period which doubled on January 1, 2018.

Catalunya was the region with the highest number of maternity leave applications, at 11,667, followed by Andalucía at 10,981, Madrid at 10,203 and Valencia at 6,300.

As these are the regions with the highest populations, the percentage of applications tells a clearer story: only in Asturias were more maternity pay applications received based upon the same period in 2017, with nearly a 5% rise, and they fell the most in Madrid, by 14.1%, and Castilla-La Mancha, with a 13.6% drop.

Again, Catalunya saw the highest number of paternity pay applications, at 12,412, followed by Andalucía's 10,892, Madrid's 10,212 and Valencia's 6,407 – in all cases except Andalucía, more applications from fathers than from mothers.

Maternity and paternity pay is 100% of the applicant's salary and paid directly by the INSS.

Paid time off is also available for workers who take career breaks to care for dependent children, including foster or adoptive children and those of other families, such as nieces and nephews if their own parents are unable to do so.

Between January and March inclusive, a total of 11,757 applications for childcare career breaks were received – an increase of 3% on the same period in 2017 – of which 10,618 were made by women and 1,139 by men.

More applications for career breaks came from Madrid than anywhere else – 2,527 in total – followed by Catalunya with 1,878, Valencia at 1,242, Andalucía at 1,240 and the Basque Country at 954.