Shared Parental Leave Pay 2026/27: ShPP Rates & Rules

How sharing works

Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) are made from the maternity (or adoption) leave and pay the mother doesn’t use. To create them, the mother (or adopter):

takes less than the 52 weeks of maternity leave, and the rest becomes SPL
takes less than the 39 weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay (or Maternity Allowance), and the rest becomes ShPP

Between you, that’s up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay, used in the first year after your baby is born. You can take it in one go or in blocks with work in between, be off together or take turns. Paternity leave and pay can be taken before or after SPL.

GOV.UK’s example: a mother who has taken 22 weeks of maternity leave and SMP can share 30 weeks of SPL and 17 weeks of ShPP with her partner.

How much is ShPP?

Statutory pay	Weekly rate (before tax), 2026/27
Statutory Shared Parental Pay	£194.32, or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that’s lower
Statutory Maternity Pay, weeks 1 to 6	90% of your average weekly earnings, no cap
Statutory Maternity Pay, weeks 7 to 39	£194.32, or 90% of your average weekly earnings if lower

So ShPP is paid like the later weeks of SMP. The difference is that there’s no 6-week higher-rate period: the first 6 weeks at 90% with no maximum only exist in SMP. If your employer offers enhanced shared parental pay, check its own rules.

GOV.UK’s example: a woman earning £300 a week starts maternity leave 4 weeks before her due date and switches to SPL 10 weeks after the birth (14 weeks of maternity leave in total). She gets £270 a week (90% of her earnings) as SMP for the first 6 weeks, then £194.32 a week for the next 8 weeks. Once she moves on to SPL, she’s still paid £194.32 a week.

Do you qualify?

Both parents must share responsibility for the child at birth, and meet work and pay tests that depend on who takes the leave.

The parent taking SPL and ShPP: employed continuously by the same employer for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before the due date, and still with them until at least the week before SPL starts. For ShPP, average earnings of at least £129 a week.
The other parent: working for at least 26 of the 66 weeks before the week the baby is due (not necessarily in a row), and earning at least £390 in total across any 13 of those 66 weeks.
If you both want to share: you each need to meet the first test.
Employees and workers: SPL is for ‘employees’. A ‘worker’ might be able to get ShPP but not SPL.

Rules differ slightly for adoptive parents and parents using a surrogate. See Shared Parental Leave and Pay: eligibility for birth parents.

Starting SPL and ShPP

SPL and ShPP can only start once your baby is born.
For SPL to start, the mother must either return to work or give her employer binding notice of the date her maternity leave will end. You can’t normally change that date.
For ShPP to start, she gives binding notice of when her maternity pay will end. If she gets Maternity Allowance, that notice goes to Jobcentre Plus instead. Maternity pay or Maternity Allowance can’t be restarted once it has ended.
The mother can’t return to work in the compulsory 2 weeks after the birth (4 weeks in a factory).
Your partner can start SPL while the mother is still on maternity leave, as long as she has given binding notice to end it.

Booking blocks of leave

You can book up to 3 separate blocks of SPL each, instead of taking it all in one go. More than 3 is possible if your employer agrees.
If your employer agrees, a block can be split into shorter periods of at least a week.
You can each work up to 20 ‘SPLIT’ days during SPL without ending it. These are on top of the 10 keeping in touch days available during maternity leave. See our keeping in touch days guide.

Notice and forms

Give your employer at least 8 weeks’ written notice of your leave dates. Changes to your plans also need 8 weeks’ notice before any leave starts.
Acas has Shared Parental Leave forms and templates, or you can use your employer’s own forms.
Your employer can ask for more information (such as a copy of the birth certificate, or your partner’s employer’s name and address) within 14 days of your application, and you must give it within 14 days.

Before you decide how to split things, work out what the mother’s SMP would be with the maternity pay calculator, and read our Statutory Maternity Pay guide.

Questions

How much is Shared Parental Pay in 2026/27?

Statutory Shared Parental Pay is £194.32 a week, or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that is lower. Unlike SMP, there is no 6-week period at 90% with no cap.

How many weeks of Shared Parental Leave can we share?

Up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay between you, taken in the first year after the birth. The exact amount depends on how much maternity leave and pay the mother takes first.

How much notice do I need to give for Shared Parental Leave?

At least 8 weeks’ written notice of your leave dates. Any change to your plans also needs at least 8 weeks’ notice before the leave starts.

Can we both be on Shared Parental Leave at the same time?

Yes. You can take leave at the same time or stagger it, and you can each book up to 3 separate blocks of leave.

Can I get Shared Parental Pay if my partner is self-employed?

Possibly. The parent who isn’t taking the leave must have worked for at least 26 of the 66 weeks before the due week and earned at least £390 in total across 13 of those weeks. The parent taking the leave must meet the employment and £129-a-week earnings tests.

More guides and calculators

Sources: GOV.UK Shared Parental Leave and Pay, Shared Parental Leave and Pay: what you’ll get, Shared Parental Leave and Pay: eligibility for birth parents, Shared Parental Leave and Pay: when you can start, Shared Parental Leave and Pay: booking blocks of leave, Shared Parental Leave and Pay: applying for leave and pay. This page is general information, not advice.

Shared Parental Leave pay (ShPP) 2026/27, explained