How much is Shared Parental Pay?

Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) is paid at £187.18 per week or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) for up to 37 weeks. Unlike maternity pay, there is no enhanced rate for the first 6 weeks. The total number of pay weeks available is 39 minus whatever weeks of maternity/adoption pay the mother has already taken. Your employer may offer enhanced ShPP above the statutory rate — check your company's policy.

Can both parents take Shared Parental Leave at the same time?

Yes — both parents can take ShPL at the same time. This is one of the main advantages over paternity leave. For example, both parents could take 4 weeks off together after the birth, or the father/partner could start their leave while the mother is still on leave. There's no requirement for one parent to return to work before the other starts ShPL.

Do I have to take Shared Parental Leave in one block?

No — you can take ShPL in up to three separate blocks (with gaps between them where you return to work), provided your employer agrees. Each block must be at least one week. This flexibility is a key advantage — for example, you could take 3 months off initially, return to work, then take another month off later. However, your employer can refuse discontinuous blocks and ask you to take the leave in one continuous block instead.

Can self-employed parents get Shared Parental Leave?

Self-employed parents cannot take ShPL themselves (it requires employee status), but they can enable their employed partner to take ShPL. If the mother is self-employed and the father/partner is employed, the mother's Maternity Allowance can be ended early to transfer the remaining weeks to the employed partner as ShPL. The self-employed parent must meet the 'employment and earnings test' (worked at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before the due date, and earned at least £30/week in 13 of those weeks).

Shared Parental Leave and Pay — Complete UK Guide | PocketWise

Shared Parental Leave and Pay — Complete UK Guide

How Shared Parental Leave (ShPL) works in the UK — eligibility, how to split leave with your partner, statutory pay rates, and how to notify your employer.

By PocketWise · 25 March 2026 · 5 min read

Shared Parental Leave (ShPL) lets parents share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay between them after the birth or adoption of a child. Here’s how it works.

How Shared Parental Leave Works

Feature	Detail
Total leave available	Up to 50 weeks (shared between both parents)
Total pay available	Up to 37 weeks of Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP)
Who can share	Mother and father, or mother and partner
Can both take leave at once?	Yes
Can leave be split into blocks?	Yes — up to 3 blocks each (with employer agreement)
Must the mother take any leave?	Yes — minimum 2 weeks after birth (4 weeks if factory worker)
Adoption	Same rules apply for the primary adopter and their partner

How the Leave Is Created

Step	What happens
1	Mother is entitled to 52 weeks maternity leave and 39 weeks maternity pay
2	Mother ends (or plans to end) her maternity leave early
3	Remaining weeks convert to ShPL and ShPP
4	Both parents share the remaining weeks between them

Example Split

Parent	Action	Weeks
Mother	Takes maternity leave	20 weeks
Remaining for ShPL	52 – 20 = 32 weeks	32 weeks
Remaining for ShPP	39 – 20 = 19 weeks	19 weeks of pay
Mother takes ShPL		12 weeks
Father takes ShPL		20 weeks
Both take ShPL together (overlap)		Counts against both parents’ allocation

Eligibility

Mother/Primary Adopter Must:

Requirement	Detail
Be an employee or entitled to SMP/MA	Employees get leave + pay; if only MA-entitled, partner can still take ShPL
Have 26 weeks’ continuous employment	By the 15th week before the due date (with the same employer)
Still be employed at the birth/placement	Doesn’t need to actually be at work

Partner Must:

Requirement	Detail
Be an employee	For ShPL (workers and agency staff don’t qualify)
Have 26 weeks’ continuous employment	By the 15th week before the due date
Have earned at least £123/week on average	In 8 weeks before the 15th week before due date

The Other Parent Must Meet the “Employment and Earnings Test”:

Requirement	Detail
Worked for 26 of the 66 weeks before the due date	Employed or self-employed — doesn’t need to be continuous
Earned at least £30 in any 13 of those weeks	A low bar — most working people qualify

Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP)

Detail	Amount
Weekly rate	£187.18/week or 90% of average weekly earnings (whichever is lower)
Maximum weeks	37 minus weeks of SMP/SAP/MA already taken by the mother
Enhanced ShPP	Check your employer’s policy — some offer full or partial salary
Tax	ShPP is taxable income (tax and NI deducted as normal)
Pension	Employer pension contributions continue during paid ShPL

ShPP vs SMP Comparison

Feature	Statutory Maternity Pay	Statutory Shared Parental Pay
First 6 weeks	90% of average earnings	£187.18/week (flat rate)
Remaining weeks	£187.18/week (up to 33 weeks)	£187.18/week
Total paid weeks	39	37 minus SMP weeks taken
Enhanced rate	Depends on employer	Depends on employer

Note: The first 6 weeks of SMP are paid at 90% of earnings, which is often significantly more than ShPP. If the mother stops maternity leave before using all 6 enhanced weeks, that higher rate pay is lost.

How to Apply — Step by Step

Step	Timing	Action
1	During pregnancy	Check eligibility for both parents
2	At least 8 weeks before ShPL starts	Give your employer a “notice of entitlement and intention”
3	At least 8 weeks before	Submit a “period of leave notice” — the specific dates you want
4	Mother gives “binding notice”	Confirms date she’ll end maternity leave (this is irrevocable)
5	Employer confirms	Must respond within 14 days
6	If taking discontinuous leave	Employer has 14 days to agree, refuse, or suggest alternative dates

What to Include in Your Notice

Information	Detail
Baby’s expected due date (or actual birth date)
Mother’s maternity leave start/end dates
Total ShPL and ShPP available
How much each parent intends to take
The specific dates you want to take ShPL
Declaration that both parents meet eligibility
Partner’s name, address, NI number, employer

Planning Your Leave — Common Arrangements

Arrangement	How it works	Good for
Sequential	Mother takes maternity leave first, father/partner takes ShPL after	Extending total time a parent is at home
Overlapping	Both parents take leave at the same time for some weeks	Early bonding period together
Alternate blocks	Parents take turns being at home	Spreading parental care over a longer period
Father/partner takes most leave	Mother returns to work after statutory minimum, partner takes majority of ShPL	When mother has higher salary or prefers to return early

Example Arrangements

Scenario	Mother	Father/Partner
Equal split	26 weeks maternity leave, then returns to work	26 weeks ShPL starting when mother returns
Early handover	12 weeks maternity leave + 4 weeks ShPL	26 weeks ShPL
Both off together	20 weeks maternity leave + 6 weeks ShPL	6 weeks ShPL (same time as mother) + 10 weeks ShPL alone
Maximum time at home	26 weeks maternity leave	26 weeks ShPL starting immediately after

Your Rights During ShPL

Right	Detail
Return to same job	If total leave (maternity + ShPL) is 26 weeks or less
Return to same or similar job	If total leave is more than 26 weeks
Protection from redundancy	Priority right to suitable alternative employment
No detriment	Cannot be treated unfavourably for taking ShPL
Pension contributions	Continue during paid leave
Annual leave accrual	Continues during ShPL
SPLIT days	Up to 20 “Shared Parental Leave in Touch” days — work without ending leave

ShPL vs Paternity Leave

Feature	Paternity Leave	Shared Parental Leave
Duration	1 or 2 weeks	Up to 50 weeks (shared)
Pay	£187.18/week	£187.18/week
Flexibility	Must be taken in 1 or 2 week block	Can be split into up to 3 blocks
Both parents off?	Yes (with maternity leave)	Yes
Can take both?	No — paternity leave is lost if ShPL is taken instead	Take one or the other

Tip: If your employer offers enhanced paternity pay but only statutory ShPP, take paternity leave first, then switch to ShPL afterwards.