Who qualifies for Statutory Paternity Pay?

To get SPP you must be an employee, be the baby's father or the mother's or adopter's partner (or otherwise responsible for the child's upbringing), have been continuously employed by the same employer for at least 26 weeks up to and including the 'qualifying week' (the 15th week before the baby is due), earn on average at least the Lower Earnings Limit (£129 a week in 2026/27), and give your employer the correct notice. From 6 April 2026 paternity leave itself is a day-one right, but Statutory Paternity Pay still needs the 26-week employment and earnings tests.

Can I split my paternity leave into two separate weeks?

Yes. Since the 6 April 2024 reform you can take your 2 weeks of paternity leave as two separate one-week blocks, and at any point in the first 52 weeks after the birth or adoption placement (previously it had to be one block within 56 days). You give at least 28 days' notice before each period of leave.

How do I get Statutory Paternity Pay?

You don't claim SPP from the government — your employer pays it. Tell your employer you want to take paternity leave and pay, giving at least 28 days' notice before each week you want off. Your employer then works out and pays your SPP with your normal wages. To share more time or pay with your partner, look at Shared Parental Leave and Pay instead — but Statutory Paternity Pay can't overlap Statutory Shared Parental Pay for the same period.

Statutory Paternity Pay & Leave 2026/27 — 2 weeks at £194.32 for fathers and partners

Q: How much is Statutory Paternity Pay?

Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) covers up to 2 weeks. For 2026/27 it is paid at £194.32 a week, or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that is lower. SPP is paid by your employer in the same way as your wages, and tax and National Insurance are deducted.

Q: Is Statutory Paternity Pay taxed?

Yes. SPP is treated like normal earnings, so Income Tax and National Insurance are deducted before you receive it. It also counts as income for Universal Credit, so your UC payment may reduce for the period you get it.

How much you'll get

Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) covers up to 2 weeks. Unlike maternity pay it doesn't step down — both weeks are paid at the same rate.

What	Length	What you get (2026/27)
Statutory Paternity Pay	Up to 2 weeks	£194.32 a week, or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that's lower

Your "average weekly earnings" are worked out from your pay in the roughly 8-week period ending with the qualifying week (the 15th week before your baby is due). SPP is paid the same way as your wages — weekly or monthly — for the week(s) of leave you take.

SPP is taxedSPP counts as earnings, so Income Tax and National Insurance are deducted before you receive it. It also counts as income for Universal Credit, so your UC payment may go down for the period you're receiving it.

Some employers offer "enhanced" or "contractual" paternity pay that's more generous than the statutory minimum — check your contract, staff handbook or HR team to see if you get more.

Who qualifies

To get Statutory Paternity Pay from your employer, you must:

Be an employee (not self-employed or a worker on certain contracts).
Be the baby's father, the mother's or adopter's partner, or otherwise responsible for the child's upbringing.
Have been continuously employed by the same employer for at least 26 weeks up to and including the "qualifying week" — the 15th week before the week the baby is due.
Earn on average at least the Lower Earnings Limit — £129 a week (2026/27) before tax.
Give your employer the correct notice (see below).

Leave is now a day-one right — but pay isn't

From 6 April 2026, the right to take paternity leave became a day-one employment right — no qualifying period to take time off. But to be paid Statutory Paternity Pay you still need the 26 weeks' employment and the earnings tests above.

If you don't meet the employment or earnings test for pay, you may still be able to take the leave unpaid, and it's worth checking what else you're entitled to as a new parent — see Check my benefits.

The April 2024 flexibility

Paternity leave got much more flexible for babies due (or adoption placements) on or after 6 April 2024:

You can take the 2 weeks as one block, or as two separate one-week blocks (previously it had to be a single, unbroken period).
You can take it at any point in the first 52 weeks after the birth or adoption placement (previously it had to be used within 56 days).
You give shorter notice — at least 28 days before each week of leave (previously 15 weeks' notice of the planned dates).

That means a dad or partner can, for example, take one week when the baby arrives and keep the second week for a few months later — useful when a partner's maternity leave is ending or childcare changes.

How to get it

You don't claim SPP from the government — your employer works it out and pays it. Your job is to tell them properly and on time.

How to get it — 3 steps

Tell your employer you want paternity leave and pay, and when you want to take it — at least 28 days before each week of leave (or as soon as reasonably practicable if the baby comes early).
Confirm your relationship to the child and that you're taking the leave to care for the child or support the mother/adopter (your employer may use form SC3 or their own version).
Your employer then works out your average earnings and pays your SPP with your normal wages for the week(s) you take.

If your employer says you don't qualify for pay, they must give you form SPP1 explaining why — ask them to confirm it in writing.

If you think your SPP is wrong, ask your employer to explain how they worked it out. If you still disagree, or your employer can't pay (for example because they've gone insolvent), you can contact HMRC's Statutory Payment Disputes Team via GOV.UK. ACAS (0300 123 1100) gives free, impartial advice on paternity pay and rights at work.

Want more time? Shared Parental Leave

Two weeks isn't long. If you want to take more time off to care for the baby, the route is Shared Parental Leave (SPL) — where the parents share the mother's or adopter's leave and pay between them.

	Statutory Paternity Pay	Shared Parental Pay
How long	Up to 2 weeks	Up to 37 weeks of pay, shared between the parents (up to 50 weeks of leave)
Rate (2026/27)	£194.32/wk (or 90% if lower)	£194.32/wk (or 90% of earnings if lower)
Comes from	The mother/adopter's maternity or adoption leave & pay	The mother/adopter's maternity or adoption leave & pay

They can't run at the same time

You can't be paid Statutory Paternity Pay and Statutory Shared Parental Pay for the same period. Many parents take the 2 weeks of paternity leave around the birth, then use Shared Parental Leave later for extra time.

Read GOV.UK Shared Parental Leave and Pay →

Other money for new parents

While you're expecting or with a new baby, several other UK schemes are worth checking:

Statutory Maternity Pay — up to 39 weeks of pay for the mother from her employer.
Maternity Allowance — for mothers who can't get SMP (self-employed, recent job-changers, low earners).
Child Benefit — £27.05/week for your first child, claimable from birth.
Free childcare hours — funded hours from 9 months old for working parents.
Check my benefits — a quick scan of everything your household may be entitled to.

Source verification Primary source: GOV.UK Paternity pay and leave + HMRC Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 · gov.uk/paternity-pay-leave/pay. Last verified 8 June 2026. Confidence: High — £194.32/wk 2026/27 rate + £129 Lower Earnings Limit read from the HMRC rates page; April-2024 split-leave reform per Paternity Leave (Amendment) Regulations 2024. Key rule: up to 2 weeks at £194.32 or 90% (whichever lower); splittable into two one-week blocks across the first 52 weeks; paid by employer; can't overlap Shared Parental Pay. Scope: UK-wide; rates reviewed each April.

Statutory Paternity Pay — common questions

How much is Statutory Paternity Pay?

Up to 2 weeks at £194.32 a week (the 2026/27 rate), or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that's lower. It's paid by your employer with tax and National Insurance deducted.

Who qualifies?

You must be an employee who is the baby's father or the parent's partner, with at least 26 weeks' continuous employment up to the qualifying week (the 15th week before the due date) and average earnings of at least the Lower Earnings Limit (£129/week in 2026/27). From 6 April 2026 taking the leave is a day-one right, but paternity pay still needs the 26-week and earnings tests.

Can I split the leave into two separate weeks?

Yes. Since the April 2024 reform you can take your 2 weeks as two separate one-week blocks, at any point in the first 52 weeks after birth or adoption placement — giving at least 28 days' notice before each week.

Is SPP taxed?

Yes — SPP is treated like normal earnings, so Income Tax and National Insurance are deducted. It also counts as income for Universal Credit, so your UC may reduce for the period you get it.

How do I get it?

You don't claim it from the government — your employer pays it. Tell your employer when you want the leave at least 28 days beforehand. To take more time, use Shared Parental Leave — but paternity pay can't run at the same time as Shared Parental Pay for the same period.

Related guides

Sources: Paternity pay and leave · GOV.UK (Pay — up to 2 weeks at the statutory rate or 90% of earnings if lower; paid by employer; tax + NI deducted) & Leave. April-2024 flexibility (two one-week blocks, within 52 weeks, 28 days' notice) · The Statutory Paternity Pay (Amendment) Regulations 2024 + Paternity Leave (Amendment) Regulations 2024. 2026/27 weekly rate £194.32 & Lower Earnings Limit £129 · HMRC Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027. Eligibility, notice & Shared Parental Leave · GOV.UK + ACAS. Free help: ACAS 0300 123 1100 · Citizens Advice 0800 144 8848 · Maternity Action. Rates reviewed each April. Last reviewed: 8 June 2026. SortedUK is independent — not a government service.

Statutory Paternity Pay & Leave — 2 weeks off for fathers and partners.