Statutory Paternity Pay is £194.32 a week in 2026/27, or 90% of average weekly earnings where that is lower, for up to two weeks. The two weeks can be taken together or as two separate one-week blocks at any point in the 52 weeks after the birth, and the leave cannot start before the baby arrives. To qualify you need 26 weeks’ continuous service with the employer by the fifteenth week before the due date and average earnings of at least £129 a week. Most fathers and partners therefore receive £388.64 in total, taxed as normal pay, unless the employer offers more.
The figures
| 2026/27 | |
|---|---|
| Weekly rate | £194.32, or 90% of average weekly earnings if lower |
| Maximum duration | 2 weeks |
| Minimum average weekly earnings | £129 |
| Service required | 26 weeks by the end of the fifteenth week before the due date |
| Leave window | any time in the 52 weeks after the birth, in one or two blocks of a week |
| Notice of intention | by the fifteenth week before the due date |
| Notice of dates | 28 days before each block |
The rate is the same as the standard rate of Statutory Maternity Pay and Shared Parental Pay, and it is paid by the employer through the payroll with tax and National Insurance deducted. Small employers recover 108.5% of the cost from HMRC and larger employers 92%, so paying it costs the business little or nothing. Self-employed fathers have no equivalent of Maternity Allowance and receive nothing.
What you receive
| Average weekly earnings | Weekly paternity pay | Two weeks |
|---|---|---|
| £500 | £194.32 | £388.64 |
| £300 | £194.32 | £388.64 |
| £200 | £180.00 | £360.00 |
| £150 | £135.00 | £270.00 |
| £120 | not eligible, below the £129 limit | £0 |
Average weekly earnings are worked out over the eight weeks ending with the qualifying week, the fifteenth week before the due date, and include overtime and bonuses paid in that period. Anyone earning more than £215.91 a week receives the flat rate; below that, 90% of earnings applies, and below £129 there is no entitlement at all, although the right to unpaid leave remains for employees. The paternity pay calculator works the figure from your own pay and shows the drop against normal earnings for the weeks taken.
Who qualifies
Paternity leave and pay are for the baby’s father, the mother’s husband, civil partner or partner, or the child’s adopter or intended parent in a surrogacy arrangement, provided they will be responsible for the child’s upbringing. The service test is 26 weeks’ continuous employment by the end of the qualifying week, so anyone who joined an employer less than eleven weeks before the pregnancy was confirmed at twelve weeks may fall short. Agency workers and contractors paid through their own company are generally outside the scheme. The right is per pregnancy, so twins bring one entitlement.
Taking the leave
Since April 2024 the two weeks no longer have to be taken together or within eight weeks of the birth. A father can take one week immediately and the second when the mother returns to work months later, as long as both fall within 52 weeks of the birth, and only 28 days’ notice is needed for each block rather than the fifteen weeks previously required. Pay follows the leave, so a week of leave taken in month eleven is paid at the rate then in force. Where the baby arrives early, the window runs from the due date.
Beyond two weeks
Parents who want longer can convert part of the mother’s maternity leave and pay into Shared Parental Leave, splitting up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay at £194.32 between them; the shared parental pay calculator shows how the weeks and pay divide. Each parent also has 18 weeks of unpaid parental leave per child to use before the child is 18, capped at four weeks a year. Employers frequently pay enhanced paternity pay at full salary for two weeks or more, and the contract or staff handbook sets the terms. Our maternity pay guide covers the mother’s entitlement and the interaction between the two.
Common questions
How much is statutory paternity pay in 2026/27? £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, for up to two weeks. Anyone earning over £215.91 a week receives the flat rate, £388.64 in total.
Can I split my paternity leave? Yes. The two weeks can be taken as one block or two separate weeks, at any time in the 52 weeks after the birth, with 28 days’ notice of each block.
Do I qualify if I have just started a new job? Only with 26 weeks’ continuous service by the end of the fifteenth week before the due date. Employees who fall short may still get unpaid time off, and Universal Credit may help with the lost pay.
Is paternity pay taxed? Yes. It is paid through payroll like wages, with income tax and National Insurance deducted where earnings for the period are high enough.
Can the self-employed get paternity pay? No. There is no self-employed equivalent, unlike Maternity Allowance for mothers.
Can I get more than two weeks? Through Shared Parental Leave, by converting part of the mother’s maternity entitlement, or through an employer’s enhanced scheme. Unpaid parental leave of 18 weeks per child is also available.
Information, not legal or financial advice. Rates and conditions are the published 2026/27 figures on gov.uk: paternity pay and leave; worked figures are from the site’s calculator. Contractual schemes vary, so check your employer’s policy before acting on them.