Your leave and pay
Plan how to share a year of leave after a birth: who’s off when, what each week pays, and what it costs your family compared with the mother taking it all.
Statutory pay rates current for 2026/27, last checked against GOV.UK.
Results update as you type
Your results
Who qualifies?
- YesStatutory Maternity Pay: 26 weeks with her employer and average pay of £673.08 a week, at least £129.
- YesShared Parental Leave for the other parent: 26 weeks with their employer, and the mother meets the work and earnings test.
- YesShared Parental Pay: the other parent’s average pay of £865.38 a week is at least £129.
Paternity leave is shown in the 2 weeks after the birth. From April 2026 it can also be taken after Shared Parental Leave, within the year.
Week by week
The two rows show who’s off each week; the bars under them are the pay together, against the dashed line of normal pay.
Three ways to take 39 weeks
| Who takes the leave | Mother off | Other parent off | Pay together, first year |
|---|---|---|---|
| The mother takes all 39 weeks | 39 weeks | 0 weeks + 2 paternity | £62,455 |
| Your plan | 26 weeks | 13 weeks + 2 paternity | £59,955£2,500 less |
| About half each, one after the other | 20 weeks | 19 weeks + 2 paternity | £58,801£3,654 less |
The same 39 weeks of leave in all, with the pay together before tax over the 52 weeks from the birth. Sharing costs most when the other parent earns more, or when it uses weeks the mother would have been paid at 90%.
Key dates
Worked out from the due date, taking the birth as that day. If the baby comes early or late, the weeks move with the birth, but the notice dates for the qualifying week don’t.
- 23 May 2026The latest either parent could have started with their employer to have 26 weeks by the qualifying week.
- Sunday 8 November to Saturday 14 November 2026The qualifying week, 15 weeks before the due week. Each parent needs 26 weeks with their employer by the end of it.
- 14 November 2026The mother tells her employer she’s pregnant, the due date and when her maternity leave starts. The other parent tells theirs about paternity leave by the same day.
- 25 February 2027The due date. The mother’s maternity leave starts on the birth at the latest; this plan counts its weeks from here.
- 1 July 2027Both parents give notice: the mother, to end her maternity leave early; the other parent, of their entitlement and the dates they’ll take. At least 8 weeks before their leave starts.
- 26 August 2027 to 24 November 2027The other parent’s Shared Parental Leave, paid for 13 weeks.
- 26 August 2027The mother goes back to work after 26 weeks. Changing the return date takes 8 weeks’ notice.
- 24 February 2028The last day Shared Parental Leave can be taken: the day before the first birthday.
Using this calculator
Enter both parents’ pay, how many weeks each will take, and when the other parent’s leave starts. The calculator shows what each week pays, who’s at home, and the pay together over the baby’s first year, set against the mother taking all the leave and against half each.
- The mother ends her maternity leave early, and the weeks she doesn’t take become Shared Parental Leave: up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 of pay between you. She must take the first 2 weeks after the birth.
- Shared Parental Pay is £194.32 a week, or 90% of average pay if that’s less. Unlike maternity pay, there are no weeks at 90% of full pay, which is why sharing early in the year often costs more.
- Pay here is before tax and National Insurance. The plan counts weeks from the birth, and leaves out keeping in touch days and leave taken before the birth.
For how sharing works, with examples, read Shared Parental Leave explained.
Where the figures come from
Every rate and rule checked against GOV.UK in October 2026.
- GOV.UK: Shared Parental Leave and Pay: 50 weeks of leave and 37 of pay to share, in up to 3 blocks, with 8 weeks’ notice, by the child’s first birthday; and who’s eligible, including the other parent’s work and earnings test.
- HMRC: rates and thresholds for 2026/27: Statutory Maternity, Paternity and Shared Parental Pay of £194.32 a week, and the £129 Lower Earnings Limit.
- GOV.UK: Maternity pay and leave: 6 weeks at 90% of pay, then 33 at the flat rate; and Paternity pay and leave, 2 weeks, which from April 2026 can be taken after Shared Parental Leave too.
- Acas: Shared Parental Leave and Pay, on booking leave, notice and changing your mind.