Shared Parental Leave UK: How Much Do You Actually Get?

What Is Shared Parental Leave?

Shared Parental Leave (SPL) is a statutory right in the UK (introduced April 2015) allowing eligible parents to share maternity or adoption leave and pay. Instead of the birth mother taking all 52 weeks of maternity leave, she can:

1. Return to work early (ending her maternity leave)
2. Transfer the remaining leave and pay into a shared pot
3. Both parents then share that pot in any pattern they choose

SPL can be taken in a single continuous block or in non-continuous periods (blocks of at least a week, but multiple separate blocks within the 52-week period). Non-continuous periods require employer agreement — continuous blocks are a statutory right.

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The Maths: How Much Leave Is Available

Starting from the birth date (or placement date for adoption):

The remaining 13 weeks (weeks 40–52) can be taken as unpaid SPL.

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Pay Rates 2025/26

Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) — birth mother's pay before sharing

Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP)

Once leave is shared, both parents receive ShPP at the same rate:

£187.18/week (2025/26) or 90% of average weekly earnings — whichever is lower.

This is the same statutory rate as SMP weeks 7–39 and Statutory Paternity Pay.

What £187.18/week means in practice

For a parent earning £30,000/yr (£576/week AWE), 90% AWE = £519/week — above the cap, so they receive £187.18/week. ShPP is a flat, low rate regardless of salary for most workers.

At £187.18/week for 37 weeks, total statutory ShPP is £6,925.66 per parent — significantly less than maternity pay's first 6 weeks at 90% AWE.

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Eligibility for SPL and ShPP

Both conditions must be met:

The birth mother / primary adopter must:

• Have ended maternity/adoption leave (or given a curtailment notice)
• Be employed or self-employed at the time of the birth/placement

The secondary parent must:

• Be an employee of any employer (including a different employer)
• Have worked for their employer for at least 26 weeks continuously by the end of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth
• Have been employed by the same employer since that point

Both parents must:

• Be jointly responsible for the child (married, civil partners, or cohabiting parents)
• Meet the earnings threshold: average weekly earnings of at least £123 in the 8 weeks before the 15th week before the expected due date

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How to Notify and Book SPL

Step 1: Mother curtails maternity leave

Must give at least 8 weeks' notice to her employer that she is ending maternity leave early and intends to take SPL.

Step 2: Partner gives SPL notice

Must give at least 8 weeks' notice to their employer for each period of SPL requested, including:

• Start and end dates of each SPL block
• Whether continuous (right) or non-continuous (requires agreement)
• A declaration from the other parent confirming they meet eligibility

Step 3: Curtailment and SPL notices can overlap

Both steps can be submitted simultaneously — you do not need to wait for the mother to actually return before the partner starts their SPL.

Non-continuous leave booking

If the partner wants to take several separate blocks (e.g., 4 weeks in January, 4 weeks in March, 4 weeks in June), each block needs separate 8-week notice and employer consent. The employer can refuse non-continuous SPL (unlike continuous, which is a statutory right) — but must offer a continuous alternative.

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Simultaneous SPL: Both Parents Off at the Same Time

Both parents can take SPL at the same time, both drawing ShPP simultaneously. The maximum simultaneous period is limited by the ShPP pool:

• ShPP pool: 37 weeks
• If both take 4 weeks simultaneously, that uses 8 weeks of the 37-week pool (4 weeks for each parent)
• Both receive ShPP during those 4 weeks: 2 × £187.18/week × 4 weeks = £2,993.92 total household income from ShPP during 4 weeks of simultaneous leave

Employers cannot refuse continuous simultaneous SPL — both parents have the right independently of each other's employer.

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Employer-Enhanced SPL: The Huge Variation

Statutory ShPP of £187.18/week is very low — most households cannot sustain their lifestyle on this for extended periods. This is why employer enhancement matters enormously:

The legal minimum: employers must apply the same enhanced SPL rate they offer for maternity pay — if your maternity policy pays 3 months full salary, you cannot offer less for SPL.

How to find out your employer's SPL policy

1. Check the staff handbook or HR intranet
2. Ask HR directly — many enhanced schemes are not well publicised
3. Check the application form: some enhanced SPL requires specific request forms separate from the statutory notice

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Tax and NI on ShPP

ShPP is taxable income and subject to National Insurance in the same way as employment income:

• Income tax via PAYE using your tax code
• Employee NI on earnings above the NI threshold (£12,570 annualised)

At £187.18/week (£9,733/yr annualised), ShPP is entirely within your Personal Allowance if you have no other income in the tax year — meaning no Income Tax on statutory ShPP for a parent with no other income.

NI: £187.18/week is below the weekly Primary Threshold (£242/week) — so no NI on ShPP either.

For most parents with mid-year income then SPL:

• Earlier employment income uses most of the PA
• ShPP then falls into taxable income at 20% basic rate
• Combined year's tax should reconcile via P800 or Self Assessment if over/underpaid

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Worked Example: Two Parents Both Taking SPL

Emma (£40,000/yr) and James (£35,000/yr) have a baby in September 2025.

Emma's maternity leave plan:

• Weeks 1–6: SMP at 90% AWE (£769/wk × 90% = £692/wk)
• Weeks 7–16: SMP at £187.18/wk (statutory — her employer offers no enhancement)
• Week 17: Emma returns to work. She has curtailed maternity leave after 16 weeks.

Available SPL pot:

• Remaining leave: 52 − 16 = 36 weeks
• Remaining pay: 39 − 16 = 23 weeks of ShPP at £187.18/wk + 13 weeks unpaid

James's SPL plan:

• Weeks 17–22 (6 weeks): simultaneous with Emma's return — James takes SPL while Emma is back at work. James receives ShPP × 6 weeks = £1,123.
• Weeks 22–28 (6 weeks): Emma also takes 6 weeks SPL (non-simultaneously this time). Emma receives ShPP; James returns to work.
• Remaining 11 weeks of paid SPL: either parent can use, or leave unpaid

Household finances during SPL:

• Simultaneous period (0 weeks here — they chose to stagger)
• When James is on SPL (6 weeks): Emma working £40k = £2,693/mo take-home + James ShPP £811/mo = £3,504/mo household
• When Emma is on SPL (6 weeks): James working £35k = £2,394/mo + Emma ShPP £811/mo = £3,205/mo household

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SPL and Self-Employed Parents

Self-employed parents are not entitled to SPL — it is an employee right only. However:

• A self-employed mother can claim Maternity Allowance (up to £187.18/wk for 39 weeks)
• There is no equivalent statutory right for self-employed secondary parents

Some self-employed parents informally reduce their working hours, but there is no statutory guaranteed pay. This is a significant gap in UK parental rights compared to employed parents.

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Key Dates and Deadlines