Paternity Pay Calculator & Leave Calculator UK 2026/27

If you want to know how much paternity leave you can take and how much pay you may receive after the birth of a child. Our paternity pay calculator and paternity leave calculator help you to estimate your entitlement in seconds. So you can plan your time off and finances with confidence.

Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) Calculator

What is Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP)?

Paternity Pay is the amount an eligible employee receives while on paternity leave. In the UK, this usually refers to statutory paternity pay (SPP), which is the minimum legal amount set by the UK government that an employer must pay to an eligible employee.

Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) Eligibility Requirements

Not every employee automatically qualifies for statutory paternity pay. There are a few boxes that need to be ticked first.

The Continuous Employment Rule

The employee must have worked for you for at least 26 weeks. These 26 weeks must be completed by the 15th week before the baby is due. A new Employee who recently joined may not qualify for SPP.

Key Eligibility Criteria Checklist

Here is a simple checklist to go through before you process any SPP:

• The employee must have at least 26 weeks of continuous employment.
• Their average weekly earnings must be at least £129 (the lower earnings limit for 2026/27).
• They must be the biological father, the mother's spouse or partner or the adopter's partner.
• They must have given you the correct notice in time.
• They must not have started working for a new employer.

If any of these are not met, the employee will not qualify for SPP.

How Do We Handle Eligibility for Agency or Zero-Hour Staff?

For agency workers, the agency is the employer. So, eligibility is checked against the agency contract. The same 26-week rule applies to zero-hour workers and the earnings are averaged over the relevant period. The key thing to check is whether there has been a break in employment or not.

How to Calculate Statutory Paternity Pay

Once you confirmed the eligibility of your employee, you need to work out how much to pay them.

Determining Average Weekly Earnings

Average weekly earnings are calculated using the employee's gross pay in the eight weeks before the qualifying week. The qualifying week is the 15th week before the baby's due date. You add up all the gross earnings in those eight weeks and divide by eight. That gives you the average weekly earnings figure.

Applying the SPP Formula

SPP is paid at the lower of these two amounts:

• £194.32 per week (the 2026/27 standard rate)
• 90% of the employee's average weekly earnings

So if someone earns £150 a week on average, they get £135 (which is 90% of £150) rather than the full standard rate. If they earn £300 a week on average, they get the standard rate of £194.32 because 90% of £300 is higher than the cap.

Handling Variations in Pay

If the employee's pay varies, for example because of overtime, commission, or irregular hours, you still use the same eight-week averaging method. Just make sure you are using gross pay figures and including all regular payments. Bonus payments that are one-off or discretionary are usually excluded but it is worth double checking your payroll setup.

What Happens if an Employee Gets a Pay Rise During the Calculation Period?

If a pay rise takes effect during or just before the calculation period, you should use the increased rate when calculating average weekly earnings. HMRC guidance says the pay rise should be reflected in the calculation if it applies to the reference period. If you are not sure, it is always safer to check with your payroll provider.

Managing the Cost and Reclaiming SPP from HMRC

Good news here. You do not have to absorb the full cost of SPP yourself.

How Much Can Your Business Reclaim?

Most employers can reclaim 92% of the SPP they pay from HMRC. If your total National Insurance contributions are £45,000 or less per year, you qualify as a small employer and can reclaim 103%, which means you actually get back slightly more than you paid out. This is called Small Employers Relief.

The Reclaim Process Step by Step

You reclaim SPP through your usual payroll process. You reduce your PAYE and National Insurance payments to HMRC by the amount of SPP you have paid. If the SPP is more than your liability in a given month, you can carry it forward or apply to HMRC for an advance payment.

Managing Enhanced Paternity Pay

Some employers offer more than the statutory minimum. This is called enhanced or contractual paternity pay. The statutory portion is still reclaimable from HMRC but anything above that is a cost you bear as the employer. Make sure your contracts and policies clearly state what you offer so there is no confusion when an employee takes leave.

What Changed for Paternity Pay from April 2024?

April 2024 brought in some meaningful changes and if you haven't updated your policies since then, now is the time.

Day-One Right to Leave, But Not Pay

Before April 2024, employees needed to meet the 26-week continuous employment rule before they could access paternity pay. The day-one right now applies to leave (more on that in Part 2) but the 26-week eligibility rule still applies specifically to statutory paternity pay. So make sure you are not confusing the two when you are processing requests.

Shorter Notice Period

Employees used to need to give 28 days notice before taking paternity leave. The notice period is now more flexible. Employees can give notice after the birth in some cases, which is more realistic given that births don't always go to plan.

Flexible Timing

Previously paternity leave had to be taken in one block within 56 days of the birth. Now employees can take it more flexibly, in separate weeks, within 52 weeks of the birth. This is a big change and your leave management system needs to reflect it.

Statutory Paternity Leave Calculator

What is Statutory Paternity Leave?

Statutory paternity leave is the legal entitlement that allows an employee to take time off work when their child is born or adopted. It gives the parent time to support their partner and bond with the new baby.

Employees are entitled to up to two weeks of paternity leave in the UK. This hasn't changed but how and when they can take it has. Employees can also take paternity leave as separate weeks and this is one of the changes from April 2024. Also, it's a day-one right. So, you don't need any minimum period requirement.

SPL Eligibility Requirements

For leave, the day-one right applies so there is no minimum employment length needed. For pay, the 26-week rule still applies as covered in Part 1. It is worth being clear with employees about this distinction early on so they are not caught off guard.

Key Eligibility Criteria Checklist

To be eligible for paternity leave, the employee must:

• Be the biological father of the child.
• Be the mother's husband, civil partner or partner.
• Be the adopter's husband, civil partner or partner.
• Have or expect to have responsibility for the child's upbringing.
• Give the correct notice to the employer.

Employer Responsibilities and Good Practice

As an employer, you must process paternity leave and pay requests correctly and on time. But good practice goes beyond just the legal minimum. It makes a real difference to how your employees feel about your company. A few things worth building into your process:

• Have a clear paternity leave policy that is easy to find and understand.
• Train your line managers on the updated rules, especially the April 2024 changes.
• Use a proper HR system to track leave dates and pay calculations so nothing gets missed.
• Communicate proactively with employees who are expecting, so they know what to do and when.
• Make sure returning employees are welcomed back properly and not disadvantaged for having taken leave.

Getting this right is not just about compliance. It is about building a workplace where people feel supported during one of the biggest moments of their life.

Final Thoughts

Paternity leave and pay can feel complicated. But it becomes straightforward once you know the rules. Use our paternity pay calculator and paternity leave calculator above to check your entitlement in seconds. If you are an employer, make sure your policies are up to date with the April 2024 changes. And if you want to manage paternity leave without the admin headache, Zelt payroll software makes it simple. From leave tracking to payroll calculations, everything is in one place.