Eligible parents can get up to 37 weeks of statutory shared parental pay.
Employees and workers can claim shared parental pay for any remaining weeks after the birth parent or primary adopter stops their:
- maternity pay
- adoption pay
- Maternity Allowance
The birth parent or primary adopter can take up to 39 weeks of statutory maternity or adoption pay. They must take a minimum of 2 weeks' pay after the birth or adoption. After this they can end their pay so the remaining can be shared between the 2 parents. This leaves up to 37 weeks of pay to be shared.
To claim shared parental pay, the employee or worker must tell their employer in writing, for example a letter or email.
How much shared parental pay is
Statutory shared parental pay is either of the following, whichever is lower:
- £184.03 a week
- 90% of the employee's average weekly earnings
The rate is usually reviewed every year.
To work out how much shared parental pay you're entitled to, you can use the shared parental leave and pay planning tool on GOV.UK.
Checking eligibility for shared parental pay
To get statutory shared parental pay, the parent must:
- pass the continuity of employment test
- earn at least £123 a week, for 8 weeks before the 15th week of the expected birth or adoption match date
The other parent must meet the employment and earnings test.
Workers, for example agency or zero-hours workers, can be eligible for shared parental pay if they meet the above criteria. They're not usually entitled to shared parental leave, but can take time off to care for the child.
Check if you're eligible for shared parental pay on GOV.UK
Enhanced shared parental leave and pay
Some employers might offer more than the statutory minimum for shared parental leave.
For example, shared parental leave with 26 weeks' full pay followed by 13 weeks' shared parental pay.
This should be in the employee's written statement of employment particulars or written in a workplace policy document.