Guide · Family
UK Paternity Leave & Shared Parental Leave Explained (2025/26)
UK partners get up to 2 weeks of Statutory Paternity Leave, plus the option to convert unused Maternity/Adoption leave into Shared Parental Leave — up to 50 weeks of leave (37 of them paid) that mum and other parent can split however they like. From 6 April 2024 paternity leave is much more flexible: you can take it as two separate weeks any time in the first 52 weeks, not just one block in the first 8 weeks.
- Paternity: 2 weeks leave + £194.32/wk pay (or 90% of avg earnings if lower)
- Shared Parental Leave (SPL): up to 50 weeks split between both parents
- Shared Parental Pay (ShPP): up to 37 weeks at SPP/SMP standard rate
- Eligibility: 26+ weeks employed by 15th week before due date, average earnings ≥ £125/wk
- Notify: 8 weeks written notice for each block
Statutory Paternity Leave & Pay (SPP)
Statutory Paternity Leave gives partners of expectant mothers, adopters and intended parents (surrogacy) up to 2 weeks of paid leave when a child arrives. You qualify if you are an employee with 26+ weeks of continuous service by the 15th week before the expected date of birth or placement.
What changed in April 2024
Before April 2024, SPP had to be taken as a single block within 56 days of birth. From 6 April 2024 you can:
- Take it as two separate one-week blocks
- Take blocks any time in the first 52 weeks after birth or placement
- Give only 28 days' notice per block (down from 15 weeks)
The pay rate is the lower of £194.32 per week or 90% of your average weekly earnings — same as Statutory Maternity Pay standard rate. The two rates always move together each April under uprating regulations.
Who qualifies for SPP
- Biological father of the child (or partner of the mother, including same-sex partner)
- Or partner of the main adopter
- Or intended parent in a surrogacy arrangement
- Employed (not self-employed) by the same employer for 26+ weeks ending the 15th week before the EWC/placement
- Average weekly earnings ≥ Lower Earnings Limit (£125/week in 2025/26)
- Will have main responsibility (alongside the mother/adopter) for the child's upbringing
Shared Parental Leave (SPL)
SPL is the "big sibling" of Paternity Leave. Rather than just 2 weeks, both parents together can share up to 50 weeks of leave in the first year after birth or placement, and up to 37 weeks of pay. The catch: every week of SPL/ShPP is sliced from the mother's 52-week statutory Maternity Leave entitlement (or the main adopter's statutory Adoption Leave).
So a typical pattern is: mother takes the compulsory 2 weeks post-birth Maternity Leave, then both parents share the remaining 50 weeks (with up to 37 weeks paid).
SPL eligibility
Both parents must independently meet the conditions:
- Employee (not self-employed) for 26+ weeks by the 15th week before EWC
- Still employed when each SPL block is taken
- The other parent must also have worked in 26 of the 66 weeks before the EWC and earned £30+/week on average for 13 of those weeks (the "employment and earnings test")
Two employed parents on PAYE will typically both qualify. If one is self-employed, only the employed parent can take SPL — the self-employed parent must satisfy the employment-and-earnings test to unlock SPL for the employed parent, but cannot take SPL themselves.
How SPL works in practice
- Mother triggers SPL by giving back some of her Maternity Leave (curtailment notice)
- Both parents file a "notice of entitlement and intention" with their respective employers
- Each parent gives 8 weeks' written notice for each leave block (max 3 blocks each)
- Blocks can run simultaneously, sequentially, or any pattern
- Minimum block = 1 week
Worked example
Couple with a baby due July 2026 — typical SPL pattern
Mother takes 13 weeks at SMP first 6 weeks (90% earnings) then 7 weeks at standard rate, plus compulsory 2 weeks pre/post-birth. After week 15 she returns to work. The remaining 37 weeks of Maternity Leave + Pay are converted to SPL/ShPP. Father takes 4 weeks SPP/SPL early (2 weeks SPP at birth, 2 weeks SPL when mum returns to work). Then both parents take 4 weeks SPL together at month 6. Father takes a further 8 weeks solo SPLat the end of mum's 12-month leave. Total father time off: 16 weeks across the first year. Total payment to father across SPP + ShPP: 16 weeks × £194.32 ≈ £3109.
Maternity Allowance — for self-employed mothers
Self-employed mothers (and employed mothers who don't qualify for SMP) can claim Maternity Allowance from DWP instead: 39 weeks at £194.32/week or 90% of average earnings. This is NOT compatible with SPL — only SMP/Maternity Leave can be converted to SPL/ShPP.
Income tax & NI on parental pay
SPP, SMP and ShPP are all taxable as employment income and subject to NI just like normal salary. Your tax code applies, so most people will pay 20% Income Tax + 8% NI on the £194.32 weekly amount. After deductions, net pay ≈ £139.91/week. Many employers top up statutory pay to full salary — this is contractual and varies; check your employee handbook.
Pension & benefits during parental leave
- Employer pension contributions continue as if you were on full pay (paid on full notional salary)
- Employee pension contributions are based on actual pay received (i.e. the 194/wk)
- Holiday accrues normally — usually you take accrued days at end of leave
- Sick pay rights continue
- Tax code unchanged — but check P60 at year-end if multiple employers
- NI credits given even at zero pay if eligible for parental leave
Common mistakes
- Missing the 26-weeks-service cutoff by a few days — counts to the 15th week BEFORE EWC
- Confusing SPP weeks (2) with SPL weeks (up to 50)
- Both parents trying to file SPL without the mother giving the curtailment notice first
- Forgetting the 8 weeks' notice — employer can reject blocks with less notice
- Self-employed partner thinking they can take SPL — they can only unlock it for the employed parent
- Not topping up — many employers pay enhanced contractual paternity pay (e.g. 100% for 2 weeks)
Frequently asked questions
- How many weeks of paternity leave can I take in the UK?
- Up to 2 weeks of Statutory Paternity Leave. From 6 April 2024 you can take this as two separate one-week blocks any time within the first 52 weeks after the birth or adoption placement — you no longer have to take it within 8 weeks and in a single block.
- What is Statutory Paternity Pay worth in 2025/26?
- £194.32 per week, or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that is lower. The amount is the same as SMP standard rate — both rates move together each April.
- Who is eligible for Shared Parental Leave?
- Both parents (or a parent and their partner) where both meet the employment and earnings conditions. The mother/main adopter must give up some of their 52-week Maternity/Adoption Leave for it to be available — SPL is sliced from her unused statutory leave.
- How much Shared Parental Pay is available?
- Up to 37 weeks of Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) at the same flat rate as SPP/SMP standard rate (£194.32 per week or 90% of average earnings if lower). The 39 weeks of paid SMP that mum could have taken minus the 2 weeks of post-birth maternity she must take = 37 maximum weeks of ShPP.
- Can both parents be off work at the same time under SPL?
- Yes. SPL gives much more flexibility than the old paternity rules — you can take leave in blocks, both can be off simultaneously, or you can stagger. You must give the employer 8 weeks' written notice of each block.
- Do I get pay if I am self-employed?
- No. SPP/SMP/ShPP all require you to be a "qualifying" employee with 26+ weeks of service by the 15th week before the expected date. Self-employed birthing mothers may qualify for Maternity Allowance instead. There is no equivalent paternity benefit for self-employed partners.
- How do I notify my employer about Shared Parental Leave?
- You must give 8 weeks' written notice using two forms: a "notice of entitlement and intention" (declaration), then a "leave booking notice" for each block. Up to 3 separate leave bookings per parent are allowed.
- Can adoptive parents use Shared Parental Leave?
- Yes. The main adopter can convert unused Statutory Adoption Leave and Pay into SPL/ShPP in exactly the same way a birth mother converts Maternity Leave, and the partner can take the usual 2 weeks of Statutory Paternity Leave and Pay around the placement date.
- Can my employer refuse a Shared Parental Leave request?
- An employer cannot refuse a continuous single block of SPL requested with proper notice, but they can negotiate the timing of a request for several discontinuous blocks within the same notice. They cannot refuse the leave outright once eligibility and notice conditions are met.
- Does taking paternity or Shared Parental Leave affect redundancy protection?
- Yes — since April 2024, employees on Shared Parental Leave (like those on Maternity or Adoption Leave) get priority for suitable alternative vacancies if their role is made redundant, for an extended protected period covering the SPL and, for births, until 18 months after birth.