Answers · UK 2025/26

How does Shared Parental Leave and pay work in the UK?

Shared Parental Leave lets eligible parents split up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of statutory pay between them after the birth or adoption of a child, instead of the mother taking all of Statutory Maternity Leave and Pay alone. Statutory Shared Parental Pay is paid at the same standard weekly rate as ordinary Statutory Maternity Pay after any higher initial weeks.

Last updated: 1 July 2026Last reviewed: 1 July 2026How we verify

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Shared Parental Leave (SPL) was introduced to give parents more flexibility than the traditional model of the mother taking all maternity leave and the father or partner taking only two weeks of paternity leave. **How the leave can be split** A mother must take at least the first two weeks after birth as compulsory maternity leave (four weeks if working in a factory), but can then choose to end her maternity leave and pay early and convert the remaining entitlement into Shared Parental Leave, which she and her partner can then split between them in almost any combination -- taken together at the same time, in alternating blocks, or all by one parent. In total, up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay can be shared (out of the maximum 52 weeks leave / 39 weeks pay that would otherwise all go to the mother under ordinary maternity leave). **Statutory Shared Parental Pay rate** Statutory Shared Parental Pay is paid at the same standard statutory weekly rate as the later weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay -- currently £194.32 a week for 2026/27 (or 90% of average weekly earnings if lower). Unlike Statutory Maternity Pay, which pays 90% of average weekly earnings for the FIRST six weeks before dropping to the standard rate, Shared Parental Pay is paid at the standard weekly rate (or 90% of earnings if lower) throughout, since the higher-rate initial weeks are specific to Statutory Maternity Pay only. **Eligibility conditions** Both parents generally need to meet employment and earnings tests -- broadly, the mother must be eligible for (and choose to curtail) Statutory Maternity Leave/Pay or Maternity Allowance, and the partner taking Shared Parental Leave/Pay must have worked for their employer for a minimum period and meet minimum earnings requirements. Both employers need to be notified with the required notice periods, and there are specific rules about how many separate "blocks" of leave can be requested and how much notice must be given before each block starts. **Why take-up has historically been low** Despite the flexibility on paper, take-up of Shared Parental Leave has remained relatively low since its introduction, partly attributed to: the complexity of the eligibility rules and notification process, many employers not offering enhanced (above statutory) pay for SPL even where they do offer enhanced maternity pay, and cultural or financial factors that still lead many families to default to the traditional mother-takes-leave pattern. **Worked example** A mother takes the first 8 weeks of maternity leave and pay after birth, then curtails her maternity leave and converts the remaining entitlement into Shared Parental Leave. She and her partner then split the remaining leave, each taking alternating blocks of several weeks over the following months, both receiving Statutory Shared Parental Pay at £194.32 a week (or 90% of average weekly earnings if lower) during their respective paid weeks, up to the combined 37-week paid cap. **Practical tip** Check whether either employer offers enhanced Shared Parental Pay above the statutory minimum, since this can significantly change the financial calculation of which parent should take which blocks of leave -- and give the required notice well in advance, since late notification can delay or complicate the arrangement.