Paternity Leave & Pay UK | What You're Entitled To

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Weeks of leave

You choose whether to take one week or two. You cannot take it in individual days.

26 weeks

Qualifying employment period

You must have been employed continuously by the same employer for 26 weeks by the 15th week before the expected week of birth.

£187.18

Weekly statutory rate (April 2025)

Or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that is lower. Verify at GOV.UK — rates change each April.

Who can take statutory paternity leave

Statutory paternity leave is available to employees who meet the eligibility conditions. Workers are not entitled to it.

You can take statutory paternity leave if you are:

The biological father of the child
The mother's husband, civil partner, or partner
Adopting a child jointly with a partner (one partner takes adoption leave, the other takes paternity leave)

You must also have been employed by the same employer continuously for at least 26 weeks by the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth. This qualifying period is different from maternity leave, which has no qualifying period.

You must also have responsibility for the child's upbringing, and you must intend to be involved in that upbringing.

Statutory Paternity Pay

Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) is paid at the same weekly rate as the lower statutory maternity pay rate. For April 2025, that is £187.18 per week, or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that is lower. Verify the current rate at GOV.UK — rates change each April.

To qualify for SPP, you must meet the same 26-week service qualifying period and earn above the lower earnings limit. Verify the current lower earnings limit at GOV.UK.

SPP is paid for the same number of weeks as you take leave — one or two weeks.

How to give notice

You must give your employer notice of your intention to take paternity leave no later than the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth. Your notice must include:

✓Whether you are taking one week or two weeks of leave
✓When you want the leave to start (day of birth, a set number of days after birth, or a specific date)
✓The expected week of childbirth

When your leave can start

Paternity leave must start on or after the date of birth. You have three options for when it starts:

The day the child is born
A fixed number of days or weeks after the birth
A specific date you choose that is after the expected week of childbirth

You must take your leave within 56 days of the birth. If the baby is born early, the 56 days runs from the date of birth. If late, it runs from the expected week of childbirth.

You cannot split paternity leave into separate weeks taken at different times. If you want more flexible time off over a longer period, shared parental leave may allow that.

Ask HR before the baby arrives: does your employer offer anything above the statutory minimum?

Around 40% of UK employers offer enhanced paternity leave or pay above the statutory minimum — more weeks, a higher pay rate, or both. There is no legal obligation to offer anything above the statutory entitlement, but many employers do.

The simplest thing you can do before the 15-week notice deadline: ask HR directly whether your employer has an enhanced paternity policy. You may find you have more flexibility than you expect.

If your employer does offer enhanced pay and you want to take more than two weeks via shared parental leave, plan that conversation well in advance — both you and your partner need to give notice to your respective employers.

Adoption

If you and your partner are adopting, one of you can take adoption leave (up to 52 weeks, equivalent to maternity leave), and the other can take paternity leave on the same basis as for a birth. The rules for qualifying and notice are similar — verify the exact conditions for adoption at GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/paternity-pay-leave/adoption.

Shared parental leave — if you want more than two weeks

If your partner ends her maternity leave early, you can share the remaining entitlement through Shared Parental Leave. This allows you to take considerably more than two weeks if you want to, either at the same time as your partner or at different times.

Shared parental leave has its own eligibility conditions and a more complex notice process. Both you and your partner need to give notice to your respective employers, and the timings must be agreed in advance.

See /employment-rights/maternity for your partner's entitlements, and check the full SPL rules at GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay.

Get plain-English employment rights guides without the legal jargon.

Common questions

How much paternity leave am I entitled to?▾

Statutory paternity leave is one or two weeks. You choose which before your leave starts — you cannot take it as individual days or split it across different weeks. You must be an employee (not just a worker) and have at least 26 weeks' continuous employment with your employer by the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth.

Do I need to have been employed for a certain length of time to get paternity leave?▾

Yes. You need 26 weeks' continuous employment with the same employer by the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth. This is different from maternity leave, which has no qualifying period. If you have recently started a new job, check whether you will meet this threshold in time. If you do not qualify for statutory paternity pay, you will not receive SPP — though you should still be entitled to take the leave unpaid.

Can I take paternity leave if I'm not the biological father?▾

Yes. Paternity leave is available to the mother's husband, civil partner, or partner, regardless of biological parentage — provided you meet the other eligibility conditions (26 weeks' employment, earnings above the lower earnings limit, and that you will be responsible for the child's upbringing). Same-sex partners are included.

What happens if my employer refuses paternity leave?▾

Your employer cannot refuse statutory paternity leave if you meet the eligibility conditions and give the required notice. Refusing to allow paternity leave is unlawful. If your employer does this, raise a grievance in writing. If it is not resolved, contact ACAS on 0300 123 1100. You can also submit a claim to an employment tribunal. Keep records of all communications.

Is statutory paternity pay the same rate as statutory maternity pay?▾

The lower weekly statutory rate is the same — both are paid at the same statutory rate (£187.18 per week from April 2025, or 90% of average weekly earnings if lower). The key difference is duration: statutory maternity pay runs for up to 39 weeks (with the first 6 weeks at 90% of AWE), while statutory paternity pay runs for one or two weeks only at the flat rate. Verify current rates at GOV.UK.

Can I extend paternity leave beyond 2 weeks?▾

Not through paternity leave itself. However, if your partner ends her maternity leave early, you can both share the remaining entitlement through Shared Parental Leave. This could allow you to take considerably more than two weeks. Both you and your partner must meet the eligibility conditions and give notice to your respective employers. Your employer may also offer enhanced paternity leave above the statutory minimum — worth asking HR before the baby arrives.

Paternity leave and pay in the UK