Less than a fifth of self-employed used childcare leave benefits

Less than a fifth of self-employed parents submitted claims for government-paid childcare leave between 2019 and 2022.

- Shermaine Ang

Out of around 31,100 self-employed parents per year eligible for government-paid childcare leave, 5,400 submitted claims for such leave each year on average.

And just 1,400 out of 25,300 eligible self-employed parents submitted claims for extended childcare leave each year.

Government-paid childcare leave provides up to six days of leave for eligible working parents with children below seven years old, while extended childcare leave gives two days' leave for those with children aged seven to 12. Self-employed parents can claim reimbursement of up to $1,500 and $1,000 per year respectively for these benefits.