United Kingdom Statutory Paternity Pay and Statutory Shared Parental Pay
Statutory Paternity Pay and Statutory Shared Parental Pay are separate statutory payments with different leave periods and eligibility conditions.
On this page
- SPP weekly rate
- £194.32 or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
- SPP leave
- 2 weeks.
- ShPP weekly rate
- £194.32 or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
- ShPP pay period
- Up to 37 weeks.
- Shared Parental Leave
- Up to 50 weeks between parents; up to 37 weeks can be paid.
The weekly rate is the same for both payments
Statutory Paternity Pay is £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. GOV.UK, Paternity pay and leave (opens in a new tab).
Leave is available for up to 2 weeks. GOV.UK, Paternity pay and leave (opens in a new tab).
Statutory Shared Parental Pay is paid at the same weekly rate: £194.32 or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. The payment can be shared between parents for up to 37 weeks. GOV.UK, Shared Parental Leave and Pay (opens in a new tab).
How Shared Parental Leave and Pay work
To qualify for Shared Parental Leave and Statutory Shared Parental Pay, both parents must meet the eligibility conditions. The mother or primary adopter must reduce their maternity or adoption leave and pay, and the remaining leave and pay can be shared as SPL and ShPP. GOV.UK, Shared Parental Leave and Pay (opens in a new tab).
The parents can take SPL in blocks separated by periods of work, or take it all in one go. GOV.UK, Shared Parental Leave and Pay (opens in a new tab).
Eligibility for SPP
An employee qualifies for Statutory Paternity Pay if they have been continuously employed for at least 26 weeks up to the end of any day in the qualifying week and earn an average of at least £129 a week. The qualifying week is the 15th week before the baby is due. GOV.UK, Paternity pay and leave (opens in a new tab).
Eligibility for ShPP
Both parents must share responsibility for the child at birth and meet work and pay criteria, which differ depending on which parent takes the leave and pay. The parent taking ShPP must have been employed continuously by the same employer for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before the due date and earn on average at least £129 a week. The other parent must have worked for at least 26 of the 66 weeks before the week the baby is due and earned at least £390 in total across any 13 of those weeks. GOV.UK, Shared Parental Leave and Pay eligibility (opens in a new tab).
Scope
This is general information adapted from government material under the Open Government Licence v3.0, without endorsement or a recommendation. It does not assess individual entitlement or liability. No matching calculator or worked pay example is available here.