Paternity leave and pay: what fathers and partners are entitled to

Paternity leave has had its biggest upgrade in years. Since April 2026 it is a day-one right: you no longer need six months' service to take time off when your child arrives. Here is what you get, how to claim it, and the options for a longer stretch at home.

The basics

Eligible employees can take:

• One or two weeks' leave, taken in one block, within 52 weeks of the birth or adoption
• Statutory paternity pay of £194.32 a week (2026/27), or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that is lower

It is available to biological fathers, the mother's partner (whatever their gender), adoptive parents and intended parents in surrogacy arrangements. Many employers enhance it with full-pay policies, so check your contract first: the statutory figures are the floor, not the ceiling.

What changed in April 2026

Under the Employment Rights Act 2025, paternity leave became a day-one right from 6 April 2026. Previously you needed 26 weeks' service with your employer before you qualified for the leave (though the pay had separate rules). That barrier is gone: start a new job while your partner is pregnant and you can still take your two weeks.

The government estimates around 32,000 more fathers and partners a year benefit from this change alone. Unpaid parental leave became a day-one right at the same time.

How to claim it

Give your employer notice by the end of the 15th week before the baby is due (or within seven days of being matched for adoption):

• When the baby is due or expected to be placed
• When you want your leave to start
• Whether you are taking one week or two

Your employer may ask for a self-certificate (form SC3 for births). Pay runs through payroll with tax and national insurance deducted as normal.

If you want more than two weeks

Two weeks is the statutory paternity entitlement, but there are bigger options:

• Shared parental leave. If the mother or primary adopter cuts their leave short, you can share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay between you, in blocks if you prefer. Our shared parental leave guide explains how the split works.
• Unpaid parental leave. A further 18 weeks per child, unpaid, to be taken before they turn 18.

Your protections while off

While on paternity leave your employment terms continue, you accrue holiday, and you are protected against dismissal or detriment connected to taking it. An employer who punishes you for taking leave you are entitled to is on the wrong side of discrimination law: the same principle that protects mothers, covered in pregnancy and maternity discrimination, protects you.

For the mother's side of the picture, our statutory maternity pay guide covers rates and rules, and returning to work after maternity leave covers the return.

If your employer refuses paternity leave you qualify for, or your treatment at work changes after you ask, start your enquiry and we will match you with a specialist employment solicitor within 24 hours.