Answers · UK 2025/26
Who is eligible for Statutory Neonatal Care Pay?
Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (SNCP), introduced in April 2025, gives eligible employed parents up to 12 additional weeks of paid leave if their baby is admitted to neonatal care within 28 days of birth and stays for 7 or more continuous days. It is paid at the same statutory rate as other family-related statutory pay and is available alongside, not instead of, maternity/paternity/adoption pay.
Full answer
Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (and the accompanying Neonatal Care Leave) is a relatively new employment right, introduced from 6 April 2025, designed to support parents whose newborn baby requires an extended hospital stay. **Qualifying conditions for the baby's care** The entitlement is triggered when a baby is admitted to neonatal care (in a hospital or other specified care setting) within 28 days of being born, and that neonatal care continues for a continuous period of 7 full days or more. Both conditions must be met -- a shorter stay, or an admission that starts after the baby's 28th day, does not trigger entitlement. **How much leave and pay is available** Eligible parents can take up to 12 weeks of Neonatal Care Leave, in addition to their existing entitlements to maternity, paternity, adoption, or shared parental leave -- it does not replace or reduce those other entitlements, but sits alongside them. Statutory Neonatal Care Pay is paid at the same standard weekly statutory rate used for other family-related statutory payments (the same flat rate as Statutory Paternity Pay and the standard rate of Statutory Maternity/Adoption Pay after the initial higher-rate weeks), subject to meeting minimum earnings and continuous employment qualifying conditions similar to other statutory family payments. **Who can claim -- both parents** Unlike some family leave entitlements historically skewed toward mothers, Neonatal Care Leave and Pay is available to both parents (and certain other qualifying individuals with responsibility for the child, such as a partner), reflecting the reality that neonatal care often requires both parents to be present and involved, and both may need time away from work. **Worked example** A baby is born prematurely and admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit on day 2 of life, remaining in hospital for 5 weeks (35 days) before being discharged. Because the admission happened within 28 days of birth and lasted more than 7 continuous days, both qualifying parents become entitled to Neonatal Care Leave and Pay -- calculated based on the number of complete weeks the baby spent in neonatal care (up to the 12-week maximum), taken either during the neonatal care period itself or, for leave not used at that time, within a set period after the baby is discharged. **Employment protections** As with other forms of statutory family leave, employees taking Neonatal Care Leave have protection from detriment or dismissal connected to taking the leave, and are entitled to return to the same job (or a suitable alternative in certain circumstances) afterwards. **Why this right was introduced** Before April 2025, parents of babies requiring extended neonatal care often had to use up their existing maternity, paternity, or annual leave entirely during the hospital stay, leaving little or no time to actually bond with and care for their baby once discharged home -- Neonatal Care Leave and Pay specifically addresses this gap by providing dedicated additional time off on top of existing entitlements.
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This answer is informational only and does not constitute financial, tax or legal advice. Figures are for the 2025/26 UK tax year. See our methodology and sources.