Paper work and paternity benefits

With the arrival of your child there are a few important responsibilities which you should, by law, sort out within a week or two. These include obtaining a birth certificate from registration and making sure you are issued with the correct health documents by the hospital. You are also entitled to paternity benefits under European Economic Area (EEA) minimum requirements.

At the hospital

Before you leave the hospital the staff will issue you some formal documentation confirming the birth of the child there, signed by the parents with the baby’s name, weight and sex. In addition you will be given records of the immunisation given at birth and a schedule to return for additional vaccines or boosters. It’s very important that you keep these safe and follow instructions, although the hospital will keep its own copy.

Birth registration

Many hospitals offer this on site and it can be easily taken care of before you even leave, however some people prefer to make their own visit to the local registry office as they may not have decided yet on final names. Registrations need to be done within 45 days. Your local registration office can also make provision for late registrations but you can expect a paper-chase and delays.

Either of the parents can go, provided they are married at the time of birth, as both names will appear on the certificate. However, if you are unmarried then you both need to be present to affirm your parentage.

You needn’t take anything along, not even the baby as the registrar will rely on records from hospital to confirm the birth. To find out exactly where to go, try a search on the General Registry Office website.

In fact you needn’t even go to an office in the same district as the hospital where the baby was born, but then you’ll have to wait a couple of days to receive the certificate. The whole process should take no more than an hour.

Paternity benefits

Right, women get time off after birth to take care of the baby but what about us men who are expected to chip in with our share of the nappy changing, laundry and cleaning. Well, you’ll be pleased to know you too get benefits.

Although the DTI in UK is less generous than other European countries with paternity benefits, you do get two weeks of paid leave to help with the initial few weeks of baby care. Before you get too excited it is paid to a maximum of £108 a week (2006). For this reason many don’t even bother but generous employers might give you a few days off to take mum and baby home from the hospital.

The stipulated conditions are

1. That you are the biological father, certified adopted father or proven common-law partner of the pregnant mother.
2. That you were employed with your current or last employer (who will be liable to pay you on the governments’ behalf) at the 15th week prior to due date and had been with them for 26 weeks prior to that.
3. The leave is taken at some time during the first eight weeks after birth, consecutively.

More information

Baby name suggestions
Sorted for the birth
The cost of kids