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Parents & Carers

Usdaw supports members who are juggling paid work with caring commitments

Maternity Action: Maternity Leave Survey

Have you been on maternity leave at any point between January 2021 and the present day? Could you spend 5 minutes completing a survey about the financial impact this has had on you and your family as the cost of living crisis bites deeper?

Your feedback will support the national charity Maternity Action's work campaigning and lobbying Government for better maternity pay and benefits for pregnant women and new mothers and their families.

Take the survey >>

The right to request flexible working

All members who have at least 26 weeks service can now ask their employer for a change in their working hours.

Find out more >>

Supporting Parents & Carers

Balancing work with parenting and caring responsibilities can be one of the most difficult issues members face.

Usdaw is campaigning for improved rights for parents and carers. We also provide resources to inform members and reps about their existing rights, including accessing time-off and financial support through tax credits and other in-work benefits.

Each year we run a spotlight day to focus on a particular issue, providing briefings and materials to help reps and activists organise a campaign event in their store.

Visit the campaign area >>

Are you a parent working in the UK fashion industry?

Grants for families financially affected by Coronavirus (Covid-19)
The Fashion and Textile Children's Trust (FTCT) gives financial grants to the children of parents and carers who work in the UK fashion and textile industry*. Their grants can help ease the financial strain of redundancy, furlough or reduced working hours, by covering the cost of essential items for children in the family.

If your children are aged between 0-18 years and you are struggling financially to make ends meet, you might be able to apply for a grant from FTCT.

*'Fashion and textile' covers a broad range of businesses including clothing, sportswear and footwear shops, soft furnishing shops and supermarkets that sell clothing.

Find out more >>

Free prize draw

Enter our free prize draw to win a £100 Love2Shop Gift Voucher courtesy of Usdaw Protect.

The official website of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers