Parents caring for seriously ill children could receive greater employment and financial protection under new “Hugh’s Law” proposals.

Currently, parents need to rely on unpaid leave, annual leave or support offered voluntarily by their employer. However, the Hugh’s Law campaign is calling for statutory paid leave and employment protection for parents whose children become seriously ill.

Since its launch, the campaign has now reached the Government. In June 2026, ministers launched a consultation examining employment rights for unpaid carers and parents of seriously ill children, including whether additional support should be introduced. That consultation has now closed.

However, Hugh’s Law has not yet become a statutory employment right, meaning affected parents must continue to rely on the employment rights and financial support currently available to them.

What is Hugh’s Law?

Hugh’s Law is a national campaign seeking statutory paid leave and employment protections for parents caring for seriously ill children.

It was created in memory of Hugh Menai-Davis, who died in 2021 following treatment for a rare cancer. His parents founded the charity It’s Never You and launched the Hugh’s Law campaign after witnessing the financial and employment pressures families can experience during a child’s serious illness.

The campaign argues that parents should not have to choose between remaining at their child’s bedside and protecting their income or employment. It therefore wants parents to receive protected leave and financial support when a child develops a serious illness requiring substantial parental care.

According to the Hugh’s Law campaign, around 11,000 children in the UK develop serious conditions requiring significant parental care each year. Approximately 4,000 families are said to experience hospital stays lasting at least two months.

The campaign also reports that 95% of affected parents experience financial hardship, while 88% reduce their working hours or leave employment. It says 79% experience a decline in their mental health following their child’s diagnosis.

These figures form part of the campaign’s argument that existing parental leave and financial support arrangements do not adequately address the circumstances families can face following a serious diagnosis.

What Support is Currently Available to Parents of Seriously Ill Children?

There is currently no dedicated statutory right to paid leave specifically because an older child becomes seriously or critically ill.

Parents may instead have to rely on several existing rights, depending on their employment status and circumstances. However, these rights can be limited and may not provide pay during an extended period away from work.

Eligible employees can take up to 18 weeks of ordinary parental leave for each child before their 18th birthday. From 6 April 2026, ordinary parental leave became a day-one employment right, meaning eligible employees no longer need a minimum period of service before requesting it.

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However, ordinary parental leave is generally unpaid leave. Parents can usually take no more than four weeks for each child in a year and generally take the leave in blocks of whole weeks, although different arrangements can apply in certain circumstances.

Employees also have a statutory right to a reasonable amount of time off to deal with emergencies involving dependants. This could apply where a child suddenly becomes ill or injured, allowing a parent to deal with the immediate emergency and arrange further care.

However, employers are not generally required to pay employees for statutory time off for dependants. Where longer-term care is required, an employer may instead ask the employee to consider options such as annual leave or parental leave.

Carer’s leave provides another possible form of support. Eligible employees can take up to one week of unpaid carer’s leave every 12 months to provide or arrange care for a dependant with a long-term care need. Some employers may offer enhanced contractual rights, compassionate leave or discretionary paid leave.

However, whether this support is available will generally depend on the employer’s policies and the employee’s contract.

The Current Gap in Support

The central issue identified by the Hugh’s Law campaign is the absence of a dedicated statutory framework for parents with seriously ill children.

A medical diagnosis can suddenly and immediately change a family’s circumstances. Parents may need to attend hospital appointments, participate in treatment decisions, provide day-to-day care or spend significant periods at their child’s bedside.

Existing statutory rights can help in some situations, but they were not necessarily designed to cover months of intensive treatment. Four weeks of ordinary parental leave each year, for example, may be insufficient where a child requires prolonged hospital treatment and ongoing parental care.

There is also the financial problem. Ordinary parental leave, carer’s leave and statutory time off for dependants are generally unpaid. Taking extended periods away from work can therefore substantially reduce household income precisely when a family may be facing additional costs.

Some parents may use annual leave to continue receiving their normal salary. However, doing so can exhaust leave that would otherwise provide rest and time with family away from the pressures associated with treatment.

Others may reduce their working hours or leave employment altogether if they cannot balance their job with their caring responsibilities. This can create longer-term financial consequences even after the immediate period of treatment has ended.

There are already statutory schemes providing more specific support in certain circumstances. For example, eligible parents of babies requiring neonatal care can receive additional neonatal care leave. There is also statutory pay available where the relevant eligibility requirements are satisfied.

The Hugh’s Law campaign argues that seriously ill children should also have similar, dedicated protection.

How Would Hugh’s Law Help Parents?

The central proposal behind Hugh’s Law is to give affected parents access to statutory paid and protected leave. Paid leave could provide families with greater financial security to care for their child. This would reduce reliance on annual or unpaid leave, as well as savings.

Read More: Parental Leave Rights UK: Day-One Entitlement Confirmed

Employment protection would also be important. Parents dealing with a child’s serious illness may already be under considerable emotional pressure, and uncertainty about whether they can remain away from work can add further stress.

A clear statutory framework could provide greater certainty for both employees and employers. Parents would have a clearer understanding of the leave available, while employers would have a defined process for responding when an employee’s child becomes seriously ill.

The Government’s consultation considered several questions relevant to how any future right might operate. These included how serious illness should be defined, who should qualify, how much leave should be available and whether parents should receive statutory pay.

The details therefore remain undecided. Hugh’s Law currently represents a campaign for change rather than a final statutory scheme with confirmed eligibility requirements, leave periods or rates of pay.

What is the Current Status of Hugh’s Law?

The campaign for Hugh’s Law reached an important stage in June 2026. That’s when the Government opened its consultation on employment rights for unpaid carers and parents of seriously ill children.

The consultation followed commitments connected with the Employment Rights Act 2025 to review the employment rights available to parents whose children are seriously ill. The Government sought views on whether further employment protection was required and how any additional rights might operate.

The consultation closed on 1 September 2026. The Hugh’s Law campaign states that it is now waiting for the Government’s response.

This means Hugh’s Law has not currently introduced a new statutory right to paid leave. The consultation represented an examination of possible reforms rather than the introduction of the proposed entitlement itself. Parents of seriously ill children should therefore continue to consider the employment rights that currently apply to them

The position could change if the Government decides to proceed with new legislation following the consultation. Until the details of any reforms are confirmed, however, employees should not assume they have a statutory entitlement to paid Hugh’s Law leave.

What Should Parents of Seriously Ill Children Do Now?

Parents who need time away from work to care for a seriously ill child should consider discussing their circumstances with their employer as early as reasonably possible.

Check your employment contract and workplace policies to establish whether your employer offers compassionate leave, enhanced carer’s leave or another form of paid leave. Some organisations provide benefits that go beyond the statutory minimum.

You should also consider whether ordinary parental leave, carer’s leave or emergency time off for dependants could apply. Different rights have different eligibility, notice and duration requirements, so the appropriate option will depend on your individual circumstances.

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Where a child’s treatment is likely to continue for an extended period, it may also be helpful to discuss whether flexible working or another temporary arrangement could make caring responsibilities easier to manage.

Employees should keep a written record of requests for leave and relevant discussions with their employer. If you believe your statutory employment rights have not been respected, consider obtaining advice promptly about the options available to you.

Need Advice About Your Parental Leave Rights? Get Help with Redmans

If you are caring for a seriously ill child and are unsure about your rights at work, contact us. Redmans Solicitors are employment law specialists, and following a brief chat, we can provide expert advice. We will discuss your circumstances, answer your questions and outline your possible next steps.

To learn more about how we could help you:

• Phone 020 3397 3603
• Complete our online form to request a consultation