Statutory paternity pay is the lower of the standard weekly rate or 90% of your average weekly earnings, for up to two weeks. Unlike maternity pay there are no uncapped opening weeks, so most people receive the flat rate.
Shared parental pay uses the same weekly rate but can run far longer, because it converts leave the mother has not taken. This calculator covers both.
The short version
- How long
- One or two weeks, as a single block or two separate weeks.
- When
- Within 52 weeks of the birth or adoption placement.
- How much
- The lower of the flat weekly rate or 90% of average weekly earnings.
- Notice
- By the fifteenth week before the due date, with 28 days to change the dates.
- Shared parental leave
- Can be taken as well, sharing up to 50 weeks of leave between both parents.
How to use the paternity pay calculator
- Choose the type Paternity leave is up to two weeks. Shared parental leave can be much longer, up to 37 weeks of pay converted from the maternity entitlement.
- Enter your average weekly earnings Gross, averaged over the eight weeks ending with the 15th week before the baby is due.
- Enter the weeks you are taking Paternity leave can be taken as two separate one-week blocks rather than consecutively.
- Check your contract Enhanced paternity pay is increasingly common. Statutory pay is the floor.
Worked examples
Common questions
How much paternity leave can I take?
Up to two weeks, and the amount is the same whether you have one baby or twins. Since April 2024 it can be taken as two separate one-week blocks rather than consecutively.
Do I qualify?
You need 26 weeks of continuous service by the 15th week before the baby is due, and average weekly earnings at or above the lower earnings limit. You must also be the father, the partner of the mother, or the intended parent in a surrogacy arrangement.
When can leave start?
Not before the birth. It can begin on the day of the birth, an agreed number of days after it, or an agreed number of days after the expected week of childbirth.
What is shared parental leave?
It lets a mother convert leave and pay she has not used so a partner can take it instead. Up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay can be shared, and it can be taken in blocks rather than one continuous stretch.
Is it taxed?
Yes. Statutory paternity and shared parental pay are treated as earnings, so income tax and National Insurance are deducted as normal.
Can my employer refuse?
Not if you qualify and give proper notice. They can ask you to confirm your entitlement in writing.
What the terms mean
- Statutory paternity pay (SPP)
- One or two weeks of pay at the lower of the flat rate or 90% of average weekly earnings.
- Qualifying week
- The fifteenth week before the due date. You need 26 weeks' service by then to qualify.
- Leave shared between both parents where the birth parent ends their maternity leave early. Up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay.
- Parental bereavement leave
- Two weeks of leave and pay after the death of a child under 18 or a stillbirth after 24 weeks. It is separate from paternity leave.
Guides on this subject
-
Maternity and paternity pay: what you actually get
SMP runs 39 weeks with the first six uncapped at 90% of earnings. Paternity pay is two weeks at the…
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How much holiday am I entitled to? UK statutory annual leave explained
Almost every UK worker gets 5.6 weeks of paid holiday, capped at 28 days. How it works part-time, and the…
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UK tax codes explained: what 1257L, BR, D0, 0T and K codes mean
Your tax code decides how much income tax comes out of your pay. What each letter and prefix means, why…
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