UK Statutory Paternity Pay Calculator

How UK Statutory Paternity Pay actually works

UK Statutory Paternity Pay is straightforward compared to its sister statutory payments. A flat weekly rate of £187.18 in 2026/27 (or 90% of average weekly earnings if lower) for up to 2 weeks of leave. Unlike SMP — which has the asymmetric 90% first-six-weeks structure — SPP is one rate throughout. The headline figure feels modest, especially for higher earners whose 90% AWE rate would be much higher than £187.18.

For most middle and higher earners, the rate caps at £187.18 from week 1 onwards because 90% of AWE typically exceeds this. Someone earning £80,000/year (£1,538/week AWE) would technically qualify for £1,384/week (90%) but receives only £187.18 — a meaningful gap that's why so many UK employers offer enhanced contractual paternity pay on top.

Eligibility — straightforward but specific

SPP eligibility tests:

• Tenure: 26 weeks of continuous employment with the same employer by the end of the qualifying week (15 weeks before due date or matching).
• Earnings: Average weekly earnings of at least £125 (the 2026/27 lower earnings limit) in the 8 weeks before the qualifying week.
• Relationship: Biological father, mother's spouse/partner, or adopting parent (or partner of adopting parent).
• Responsibility: You have or expect to have responsibility for the child's upbringing.
• Notice: 28 days' notice of intended leave start date.

If you don't meet the tenure test, you may qualify for paternity leave (unpaid) but not SPP. Self-employed fathers don't qualify for SPP because it's an employer-paid benefit; there's no equivalent self-employed paternity pay scheme in the UK.

The 2-week structure and split leave

Pre-April 2024, paternity leave had to be taken as a single block — 1 or 2 consecutive weeks within 56 days of the birth. Since April 2024, the rules are significantly more flexible:

• The 2 weeks can be split into two separate single weeks rather than taken back-to-back.
• Leave can be taken at any point within 52 weeks of birth or placement (up from 56 days).
• Start dates can be changed with 28 days' notice.

This flexibility opens new patterns: 1 week at birth, 1 week 6 months later when the mother returns to work; or 1 week at 4 months for a partner overseas trip; or both weeks at 8 months for childcare gap coverage. For dual-earning UK households, the split structure is genuinely useful — pre-2024 the rigid 1-2 weeks at birth often forced suboptimal childcare arrangements.

Enhanced contractual paternity pay — where the real money is

SPP at £187.18/week for 2 weeks is below subsistence for most UK earners. The financial reality of paternity leave depends heavily on your employer's enhanced contractual scheme. Common UK patterns:

• None. SPP only. Common in retail, hospitality, smaller employers.
• Full pay for 2 weeks. Mid-market private sector standard. Closes the gap between £187.18 and your actual salary.
• Full pay for 4-6 weeks. Common in financial services, professional services, larger UK corporates.
• Full pay for 12+ weeks. Public sector (NHS, civil service in some grades) and progressive tech companies. Often part of explicit gender-equity policies.

The trend in UK paternity leave has been strongly upwards since 2018. Companies competing for talent in tech, financial services, and professional services have moved towards 4-12 weeks of full-pay paternity as a competitive benefit. Public-sector NHS schemes range from 2 weeks at full pay to 6+ weeks depending on tenure.

Shared Parental Leave — the longer-paid alternative

Shared Parental Leave (SPL) is available when one partner has used part of their maternity or adoption leave. The mother gives up some of her maternity leave and pay; the partner can take it as SPL. Total flexible leave: up to 50 weeks split between both parents, with up to 37 weeks paid at the same flat £187.18/week rate.

SPL is more flexible than SPP — leave can be taken in blocks, parents can be off at the same time or in sequence, and the structure can be designed around the family's specific needs. The downside: the mother gives up some of her maternity leave, and SPL payment is only at the flat rate (no 90% first 6 weeks like SMP).

For higher-earning fathers/partners, SPL combined with enhanced contractual top-ups is often the financially better option than SPP alone. For lower earners or families where the mother prefers full maternity leave, standard SPP is the simpler choice.

Pension contributions during paternity leave

Your employer must continue paying their pension contributions at your normal pre-leave rate during paid SPP. Your own contributions are based on what you actually receive (the SPP amount), so personal contributions drop. During unpaid paternity leave or unpaid additional leave, employer contributions are not legally required unless your contract says otherwise. Many UK employers maintain full employer contributions through paternity leave as a goodwill matter.

Why I built this calculator

Paternity pay maths gets less attention than maternity in UK calculator tools. The gov.uk SPP calculator works but doesn't model enhanced contractual schemes — which is where most UK fathers actually receive their money. This calculator handles both the statutory calculation and the contractual top-up modelling, so you can see what 2 weeks of paternity leave actually pays in your specific situation. Pair with the UK Take-Home Pay Calculator for net figures and the UK SMP Calculator if your partner is also planning leave.