Shared parental leave

Share up to 50 weeks' leave with your partner in the first year after your child is born or adopted.

Shared parental pay

You can share up to 37 weeks’ Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) with your partner. This is paid at the statutory rate or at 90% of your average weekly earnings, if this is lower. You can find the statutory rate on GOV.UK.

To share pay, your partner must end their maternity/adoption leave.

If the employed mother is receiving Maternity Allowance, they can swap some of the maternity leave and allowance for SPL. 

Maximising your pay 

Wait until your enhanced maternity pay or adoption pay ends and you start receiving Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) or Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP).  

See the maternity leave or adoption leave page to find out when enhanced pay will end.

SMP or SAP is the same amount as Shared Parental Pay (ShPP). Weeks 39 to 52 are unpaid whether you are on maternity or adoption leave or using SPL. 

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