Shared parental leave (ShPL) lets eligible parents share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of statutory shared parental pay (ShPP) — paid at the lower of £194.32 per week or 90% of average weekly earnings from 6 April 2026. The birth parent must take a minimum of two compulsory weeks after birth; the remainder can be split flexibly between both parents, including taking leave at the same time. Eligibility requires 26 weeks of continuous employment by the qualifying week and average earnings of at least £129 per week. Updated June 2026.
Source: Children and Families Act 2014, s.117–118; Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, s.171ZU–171ZZ6; Shared Parental Leave Regulations 2014; acas.org.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay.
What the law says
Shared parental leave was introduced by the Children and Families Act 2014 and the Shared Parental Leave Regulations 2014, in force from April 2015. The statutory pay framework sits in the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992.
ShPL is a framework that allows parents to convert what would otherwise be the birth parent's maternity or adoption leave into a pool of leave that both parents can share. It does not create additional leave — the 52-week total remains the same (comprising two weeks' compulsory maternity leave plus 50 weeks of potential ShPL). Source: gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay.
The leave and pay pool
| Type | Maximum available |
|---|---|
| Total shared parental leave | 50 weeks (after 2 compulsory weeks for birth parent) |
| Statutory shared parental pay | 37 weeks at £194.32/wk or 90% AWE from 6 April 2026 |
| ShPP rate | Lower of £194.32/wk or 90% of average weekly earnings |
| Unpaid leave (remaining ShPL) | Up to 13 weeks (50 − 37) |
What ShPP is paid at: ShPP is not a fixed rate of £194.32 per week for everyone. It is the lower of £194.32 per week or 90% of your average weekly earnings. If your average weekly earnings are below £215.91 (£194.32 ÷ 0.9), your ShPP will be 90% of your earnings, not the flat rate. The flat rate of £194.32 is the maximum, not a guaranteed amount. You must also meet the earnings test (average weekly earnings of at least £129 per week from 6 April 2026) to qualify for ShPP at all.
The 37 paid weeks run concurrently with the SMP that the birth parent did not use — so a mother who takes 10 weeks of maternity leave before curtailing will leave 27 weeks of ShPP available for the pool (37 − 10 = 27). If both parents take ShPL at the same time, both draw from the same pay pool simultaneously.
Source: acas.org.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay/shared-parental-pay.
Eligibility conditions
For the employee taking ShPL
The employee must:
- Continuity of employment: Have been continuously employed for at least 26 weeks by the end of the qualifying week (the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth or placement date for adoption).
- Still employed by their employer at the start of each ShPL period.
- Share primary responsibility for the child with their partner at the time of birth or placement.
- Have a partner who meets the employment and earnings test (see below).
For the partner (the other parent's qualifying conditions)
The partner (who may or may not be an employee themselves) must:
- Have been employed or self-employed for at least 26 of the 66 weeks before the expected week of childbirth.
- Have earned on average at least £30 per week in at least 13 of those 66 weeks.
Earnings test for ShPP
To receive statutory shared parental pay, each parent claiming ShPP must also have average weekly earnings of at least £129 per week (the lower earnings limit from 6 April 2026) in the eight-week period before the qualifying week.
Source: Shared Parental Leave Regulations 2014, reg.4–6; acas.org.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay.
How to curtail maternity or adoption leave
The birth parent (or primary adopter) must formally curtail their maternity or adoption leave and pay before ShPL can begin. This requires:
- A curtailment notice — a written notice from the birth parent to their employer specifying the date on which maternity or adoption leave will end.
- The curtailment date cannot be before the end of the compulsory maternity leave period (two weeks after birth; four weeks for factory workers).
- A curtailment notice may be revoked in limited circumstances — principally if the partner's employment ends.
The remaining leave and pay then become the ShPL and ShPP pool available to both parents. Source: Shared Parental Leave Regulations 2014, reg.7–8; gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay.
Giving notice of shared parental leave
Employees must give their employer at least 8 weeks' written notice before each period of ShPL begins. Notice must include:
- The start and end dates of the proposed ShPL period.
- Details of the other parent's ShPL and their employer.
Employees can submit up to three period of leave notices. Employers can discuss and negotiate timing but cannot refuse continuous ShPL within the eligible window. Discontinuous ShPL (separate blocks with gaps) requires employer agreement; if the employer does not agree to the proposed pattern, the employee can withdraw the notice or opt for a continuous block of equivalent duration. Source: Shared Parental Leave Regulations 2014, reg.12–14; acas.org.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay.
Keeping in touch (KIT) and split parental leave (SPiL) days
Each parent taking ShPL has up to 20 Shared Parental Leave In Touch (SPLiT) days — days on which they can work for their employer without ShPL ending. SPLiT days are in addition to the 10 Keeping in Touch (KIT) days available during ordinary maternity leave.
SPLiT days are by agreement — neither the employer nor the employee can compel the other to use them. Pay for SPLiT days should be agreed between employer and employee. Source: Shared Parental Leave Regulations 2014, reg.37; gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay.
Rights during and after shared parental leave
During ShPL, the employee retains all employment rights except the right to remuneration (only ShPP is paid). On returning from ShPL, the employee has the right to return to the same job or, if that is not reasonably practicable, a suitable alternative role on no less favourable terms — provided the total leave (maternity leave + ShPL) did not exceed 26 weeks.
If the total absence exceeds 26 weeks, the employer may offer a suitable alternative role on no less favourable terms. Source: Shared Parental Leave Regulations 2014, reg.41–42; acas.org.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay.
Calculate your family pay
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Frequently asked questions
See the FAQ below. For specific advice on shared parental leave eligibility or notice requirements, contact ACAS or call the ACAS helpline on 0300 123 1100.
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