UK Statutory Adoption Pay 2026/27 — 39 Weeks, £187.18/wk, Full Eligibility
Reviewed by Alex Morgan · Updated April 2026 · Identical structure to Statutory Maternity Pay
2026/27 SAP rate breakdown
| Period | Weeks | Pay rate | Worked example (£32,000 salary) |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Higher rate" period | First 6 weeks | 90% of average weekly earnings (no cap) | ~£554/week (£32k ÷ 52 × 0.9) |
| "Standard rate" period | Weeks 7-39 (33 weeks) | Lower of £187.18 or 90% of earnings | £187.18/week |
| Unpaid period | Weeks 40-52 (13 weeks) | £0 (Adoption Leave only) | £0 |
| Total over 52 weeks | 52 weeks leave | 39 weeks paid | ~£9,500 statutory total |
Many UK employers offer occupational adoption pay above the statutory floor — typically 6 weeks full pay + 12 weeks half pay, or similar to their maternity scheme. By law, employers must offer adoption pay schemes equal to their maternity pay schemes (otherwise it's discrimination). Always check your contract or employee handbook for the contractual top-up.
Eligibility — full rules
To qualify for SAP in 2026/27 you must:
- Be classed as an employee (not a worker, contractor, or self-employed) on PAYE
- Have been continuously employed by your current employer for 26 weeks ending with the matching week (the week your child is matched with you)
- Have average weekly earnings of at least £125/week (the Lower Earnings Limit) in the 8 weeks before the matching week — this LEL test may be removed in 2027 following the SSP precedent of April 2026
- Be the "primary adopter" if adopting as a couple (chosen by you, not gender-determined)
- Provide a "matching certificate" from your UK or overseas adoption agency to your employer
For Statutory Adoption Leave (separate from pay): no qualifying period — leave is a day-1 right since April 2024. So a new starter who qualifies for the leave but not yet for the pay would take leave but receive £0 SAP for the period before they hit the 26-week service mark.
Surrogacy and overseas adoption
Surrogacy: intended parents (the parents whose child is being carried by a surrogate) can qualify for SAP and Adoption Leave if:
- They will apply for a Parental Order within 6 months of birth, AND
- The child is biologically related to at least one of them, OR they have a Parental Order issued
- They've been employed for the same 26-week qualifying period
- The surrogate (gestational mother) automatically qualifies for SMP from her employer regardless
Overseas adoption: if you are adopting a child from outside the UK, the rules are slightly different:
- You must have been employed for 26 weeks ending with the week the child enters the UK
- The qualifying notice is given when you receive an "official notification" from the adoption agency or court — the equivalent of the matching certificate
- Leave can start on the day the child enters the UK or up to 28 days afterwards
- SAP rate and duration are the same as UK adoption
Both parents and Shared Parental Leave
In a couple, only one person claims SAP — but both can take leave:
- Primary adopter: claims SAP (39 weeks pay) + Adoption Leave (52 weeks total).
- Secondary adopter / partner: claims Statutory Paternity Pay (2 weeks paid) + Paternity Leave (day-1 right since April 2024). The 2-week paid period applies regardless of gender.
- Shared Parental Leave (SPL): couples can opt to share the primary adopter's SAP across both. Up to 50 weeks of leave + up to 37 weeks of Statutory Shared Parental Pay can be split between the two parents in alternating or simultaneous blocks.
- Statutory Paternity Pay 2024 reform: paternity leave can be split into two 1-week blocks taken at any point in the first 52 weeks (previously had to be one continuous 1-2 week block in first 56 days).
How to claim — step by step
- Get matched / receive notification: from your adoption agency (UK) or court (overseas)
- Notify employer within 7 days of matching: confirm in writing the start date and expected end date of leave
- Provide matching certificate: the agency or court issues this — equivalent to MAT B1 for maternity
- Decide leave start date: can be on the day the child arrives or up to 14 days before (for UK adoption); up to 28 days after (overseas)
- Receive SAP via normal payroll: weekly or monthly, taxed as normal earnings; pension contributions continue if scheme based on pre-leave salary
- Notify return-to-work: at least 8 weeks before planned return date if returning early; 28 days for full 52-week leave
Pair this with
- → UK Statutory Maternity Pay 2026/27 — identical structure
- → UK Statutory Paternity Pay 2026/27 — secondary parent
- → UK Tax-Free Childcare 2026
- → UK Child Benefit 2026/27
- → UK Family Rights at Work — 15 guides
- → UK Statutory Bereavement Leave 2026