Law guide: Workplace

See how we helped Liz

"It's not just a website... there are people there on call who can help answer your queries."

Liz W, London

Statutory shared parental pay

Statutory shared parental pay

If you're eligible, you and your partner can receive a maximum of 37 weeks of statutory shared parental pay (SSPP) (after taking the compulsory 2 weeks of maternity pay or maternity allowance).

To receive SSPP the mother must end their 39 weeks' maternity pay or maternity allowance early. The remaining amount can then be used to receive SSPP for her and/or her partner while taking shared parental leave (SPL). You can see the current SSPP rate on GOV.UK.

You must also give your employer a notice of your entitlement to take SSPP.

Qualifying for statutory shared parental pay

You'll be entitled to SSPP if:

  • you're eligible for SPL;
  • you've earned at least the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) for Class 1 National Insurance Contributions for the 8 weeks up to and including the last day of the 15th week before the date of the expected week of childbirth; and
  • you'll be caring for your child while on SPL and being paid SSPP.

Shared parental leave pay rate

If you're entitled to receive SSPP, you'll be paid a weekly flat rate. The amount usually changes every April – see GOV.UK for the amount. You'll be paid this amount unless the terms of your employment contract state otherwise.

Adoptions

Parents adopting a child are also entitled to SSPP, and the above requirements also apply to the main adopter and their partner.

In this article, any references to the following can be substituted in this way:

  • 'main adopter' for 'mother';
  • 'adoption leave' for 'maternity leave';
  • 'adoption pay' for 'maternity pay';
  • 'match date' for 'child's expected week of birth' and
  • 'placement date' for 'child's date of birth'.

Copyright © 2024 Epoq Group Ltd. All trademarks acknowledged, all rights reserved

This website is operated by Epoq Legal Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 3707955, whose registered office is at 2 Imperial Place, Maxwell Road, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 1JN. Epoq Legal Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA number 645296).

Our use of cookies

We use necessary cookies to make our site work. We would also like to set some optional cookies. We won't set these optional cookies unless you enable them. Please choose whether this site may use optional cookies by selecting 'On' or 'Off' for each category below. Using this tool will set a cookie on your device to remember your preferences.

For more detailed information about the cookies we use, see our Cookie notice.

Necessary cookies

Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions.

Functionality cookies

We'd like to set cookies to provide you with a better customer experience. For more information on these cookies, please see our cookie notice.