A flagship policy to encourage men to take time off with their children is in danger of failing because fathers cannot afford to take up shared parental leave, campaigners are warning.

The policy was introduced two years ago and gives parents the right to split up to 52 weeks of shared parental leave (SPL) between them, as well as up to 39 weeks of statutory shared parental pay. However, research shows that a quarter of fathers do not know about the right, while the lack of financial support means many families cannot afford to take time away from work.

Research from Working Families suggests that 48% of fathers would not take up their right to parental leave – a third because they could not afford to. Of the 52% of the more than 300 fathers who responded to the survey, many said they wanted to spend time bonding with their child and share care with their partner.

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“Families are unlikely to make use of SPL unless it makes financial sense for them to do so. The government should consider equalising statutory maternity pay and shared parental pay to prevent SPL being a second-class option and encourage more fathers to use it,” said Sarah Jackson, the chief executive of Working Families. “Employers going beyond the minimum pay for SPL would also make it a more realistic option for more families.”

Shared parental leave came into force on 5 April 2015. It was designed to enable fathers to play a bigger role than ever before, according to the government.

The government expected a low take-up of 2-8% but research last year suggested a tiny proportion of men were opting to take S PL, with only 1% having taken it so far.

Research from My Family Care and the Women’s Business Council, which surveyed more than 1,000 parents and 200 businesses, showed that four in 10 companies surveyed had not had a single father take SPL.

The TUC general secretary, Frances O’Grady, said that “very low” take-up meant many new fathers were continuing to miss out on spending time with their children.

“If the government is serious about men being more involved after their child is born then they should increase statutory paternity pay and make shared parental leave more flexible,” she said. “The government needs to give all new dads a right to their own paid parental leave that is not dependent upon their partners.”

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Fathers have told an inquiry by the women and equalities select committee that having to balance family finances leaves them unable to take time away from work to care for their children.

One respondent, whose wife was working a night-time supermarket job because she had to give up her better-paid day job after having children, said: “Shared parental leave appeared pointless to us (and probably most relationships) post birth because I’m the breadwinner and it makes no financial sense as we struggle financially already, hence the predicted 2-8% take-up. It sounded fantastic until you read the small print. Men should be allowed a longer period of full-paid leave, like women can be entitled to.”

Maria Miller, the chair of the women and equalities committee, said the introduction of SPL was “very welcome”. She added: “However, as the written evidence to our inquiry shows, fathers are questioning whether it works for them in practice and that is a concern. Whether it be the financial implications of taking up SPL or the attitudes and culture of employers, this policy may not be having the intended effect.”

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: “There are many factors that affect a couple’s decision on how childcare should be managed and by whom and shared parental leave gives parents extra flexibility when making these important decisions. This scheme is still in its infancy and we will evaluate its impact in 2018.”