Support for parents worth up to £748 a month - how to check if you're eligible
New parents in the UK could be in line for as much as £748 to help them spend quality time with their new child.
Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) are available to both mums and dads who are either having a baby, adopting or fostering a child, or using a surrogate to have a baby. New parents can get up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks' worth of pay between them.
Parents have the option to take this leave all at once, or they can break it down into smaller chunks. They can also choose to take the leave together or stagger it between them.
How much you can get from SPL and ShPP
ShPP is paid at a rate of either £187.18 a week (more than £748 a month) or 90 per cent of your average weekly earnings - whichever is less. This is similar to the rate for Statutory Maternity Pay, but the latter is paid at 90 per cent of whatever you earn in the first six months with no maximum cap.
Moreover, while new parents can share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay between them, the actual amount will depend on how much maternity or adoption leave and pay either partner takes. For instance, one partner can take less than the 52 weeks of maternity or adoption leave and use the rest of their allowance as SPL.
Or they can take less than 39 weeks of Maternity Allowance and use the rest as ShPP.
For mums who'll first get SMP and then switch to SPL, the government's official guidance gives this example: "A woman decides to start her maternity leave four weeks before the due date and gives notice that she'll start SPL from 10 weeks after the birth (taking a total of 14 weeks maternity leave). She normally earns £200 a week.
"She's paid £180 (90 per cent of her average weekly earnings) as SMP for the first six weeks of maternity leave, then £187.18 a week for the next eight weeks. Once she goes onto SPL, she's still paid £187.18 a week."
Who can apply?
The eligibility criteria for the scheme differ depending on whether you're the biological parents, adopting, or using a surrogate. Read below for a full breakdown of eligibility for each group.
Birth parents
Eligible birth parents must both:
have been employed continuously by the same employer for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before the due date
stay with the same employer until you start your SPL
must each earn on average at least £125 a week
meet work and pay criteria - these are different depending on which parent wants to use the shared parental leave and pay
share responsibility for the child at birth
Adoption or using a surrogate
Both parents must share responsibility for the child from their due due date, birth date, or date child is placed with them
Must earn on average at least £125 a week
If you're not sure whether you meet the criteria to claim ShPP or SPL, you can use the government's online checker here. All you need to do is enter your details and clarify which situation accurately suits you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
18-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Support for parents worth up to £748 a month - how to check if you're eligible
Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) is offered to both mothers and fathers who are either having a baby, adopting or fostering a child, or using a surrogate to have a baby New parents in the UK could be in line for as much as £748 to help them spend quality time with their new child. Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) are available to both mums and dads who are either having a baby, adopting or fostering a child, or using a surrogate to have a baby. New parents can get up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks' worth of pay between them. Parents have the option to take this leave all at once, or they can break it down into smaller chunks. They can also choose to take the leave together or stagger it between them. How much you can get from SPL and ShPP ShPP is paid at a rate of either £187.18 a week (more than £748 a month) or 90 per cent of your average weekly earnings - whichever is less. This is similar to the rate for Statutory Maternity Pay, but the latter is paid at 90 per cent of whatever you earn in the first six months with no maximum cap. Moreover, while new parents can share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay between them, the actual amount will depend on how much maternity or adoption leave and pay either partner takes. For instance, one partner can take less than the 52 weeks of maternity or adoption leave and use the rest of their allowance as SPL. Or they can take less than 39 weeks of Maternity Allowance and use the rest as ShPP. For mums who'll first get SMP and then switch to SPL, the government's official guidance gives this example: "A woman decides to start her maternity leave four weeks before the due date and gives notice that she'll start SPL from 10 weeks after the birth (taking a total of 14 weeks maternity leave). She normally earns £200 a week. "She's paid £180 (90 per cent of her average weekly earnings) as SMP for the first six weeks of maternity leave, then £187.18 a week for the next eight weeks. Once she goes onto SPL, she's still paid £187.18 a week." Who can apply? The eligibility criteria for the scheme differ depending on whether you're the biological parents, adopting, or using a surrogate. Read below for a full breakdown of eligibility for each group. Birth parents Eligible birth parents must both: have been employed continuously by the same employer for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before the due date stay with the same employer until you start your SPL must each earn on average at least £125 a week meet work and pay criteria - these are different depending on which parent wants to use the shared parental leave and pay share responsibility for the child at birth Adoption or using a surrogate Both parents must share responsibility for the child from their due due date, birth date, or date child is placed with them Must earn on average at least £125 a week If you're not sure whether you meet the criteria to claim ShPP or SPL, you can use the government's online checker here. All you need to do is enter your details and clarify which situation accurately suits you.
The Independent
01-07-2025
- The Independent
Parental leave probe could tackle gender pay gap, says minister
A parental leave review will look at 'shifting social and gender norms', taking into account paternal childcare, the employment rights minister has said. Justin Madders criticised a 'piecemeal approach' to designing the parental leave system over the past 134 years. Unveiling the plan, Mr Madders set out four objectives for the probe. Among these was 'support for economic growth by enabling more parents to stay in work and advance their careers', which could help the Government better tackle the gender pay gap. Currently, new fathers can take two weeks' paid leave, at a rate of either £187.18, or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lowest. Maternity leave is paid at 90% of average weekly earnings for the first six weeks, and then whichever is lower of that 90% or £187.18 for the next 33 weeks. Ministers hope to increase the take-up of shared parental leave, which allows a couple to share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay between them. They also hope to simplify the system for both parents and employers, with Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds warning that there are 'eight different types of parental leave'. Mr Madders told the Commons that 'the current system has grown up gradually over time'. He referred to the Factory and Workshop Act 1891, which banned women from working in factories for four weeks after they had given birth. 'Subsequent entitlements have been added to support specific groups as needs have emerged,' Mr Madders added. 'This has created a framework that does not always work cohesively as a whole. This piecemeal approach to parental leave and pay means that the system has never had an overarching set of objectives for what it should deliver. 'This review presents an opportunity to reset our approach and understanding of parental leave and pay, and what we want the system to achieve.' The minister later said: 'Our first objective is to support the physical and mental health of women during pregnancy and after giving birth to a child. 'Our second objective is to support economic growth by enabling more parents to stay in work and advance in their careers after starting a family. This will particularly focus on improving both women's labour market outcomes and tackling the gender pay gap. 'Our third objective is to ensure that there are sufficient resources and time away from work to support new and expectant parents' wellbeing. This will also include facilitating the best start in life for babies and young children, supporting health and development outcomes. 'Our fourth objective is to support parents to make balanced childcare choices that work for their family situation, including enabling co-parenting and providing flexibility to reflect the realities of modern work and childcare needs.' The review, carried out by the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Work and Pensions, will consider how to 'balance costs and benefits to businesses and the Exchequer, as well as examining how a system can support economic opportunities for businesses and families', Mr Madders said. The review will also look at 'improving our society, for example, in supporting the child poverty strategy and on shifting social and gender norms, including around paternal childcare'. Mr Reynolds has previously told the PA news agency: 'We want this to work for millions of families who tell us at the minute that it is not working, so only about one in three new dads take paternity leave, mainly for financial reasons.' He insisted businesses would be 'absolutely integral' to the review, and would not face extra burdens as a result. He added: 'They tell us the current system is quite confusing, that people don't know what they're entitled to, that businesses don't know what they should be offering.' Shadow business minister Greg Smith described a 'toxic treatment of enterprise' by the Government and argued the British economy will be 'stripped of all signs of life' by the time the review concludes. 'I would like to take this opportunity to make it crystal clear that Conservatives are not opposed to increased parental leave, so long as it is proportionate, affordable and does not increase unemployment,' he said. 'But therein lies the problem, because this Government has left themselves no breathing room. Their political choices have imposed the most significant headwinds on business in a generation.' Mr Smith told MPs: 'It's all well and good that the minister announces this review in the House today, but, let us be in no doubt, when it concludes in a year and a half's time, Britain's economy will have been stripped of all signs of life because of the choices Labour have made.'
The Independent
01-07-2025
- The Independent
Ministers launch full review of parental leave as current system ‘not working'
Ministers have launched a review of parental leave and pay as the current system is 'not working' for young families. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the Government will investigate the whole system for supporting new parents to take time off work when they have a baby, including maternity leave, paternity leave and shared arrangements. 'We want this to work for millions of families who tell us at the minute that it is not working, so only about one in three new dads take paternity leave, mainly for financial reasons,' Mr Reynolds told the PA news agency. Currently, new fathers can take two weeks' paid leave, at a rate of either £187.18, or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lowest. Maternity leave is paid at 90% of average weekly earnings for the first six weeks, and then whichever is lower of that 90% or £187.18 for the next 33 weeks. Ministers hope to increase the take-up of shared parental leave, which allows a couple to share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay between them. They also hope to simplify the system for both parents and employers, with the Business Secretary pointing to 'eight different types of parental leave'. Mr Reynolds insisted businesses would be 'absolutely integral' to the review, and would not face extra burdens as a result. He added: 'They tell us the current system is quite confusing, that people don't know what they're entitled to, that businesses don't know what they should be offering.' As ministers battle to boost sluggish growth, Mr Reynolds insisted bolstering parental leave would help the economy. He told PA: 'Of course, business themselves, the growth argument is this: the more people we can keep in work, because they're able to spend some time with their children in those really important first few months and weeks, if we can do that, that's obviously going to strengthen the economy as well.' Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner similarly described support for parents as 'vital for our economy'. She added: 'Through our plan to make work pay, we're already improving the parental leave system with new day one rights. This ambitious review will leave no stone unturned as we deliver for working families.' The review will gather opinions from parents, employers and experts across the UK and end with a series of proposals for reform. Plans to boost support for young parents come after worries about the falling birthrate were expressed by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. She told the Daily Telegraph falling birth rates were not only a concerning trend but one which 'tells a story, heartbreakingly, about the dashed dreams of many families'. Official data from the Office for National Statistics shows fertility rates in England and Wales dropped to 1.44 children per woman in 2023, the lowest level since records began in 1938. Ms Phillipson said people were scared off having children due to the high costs, and wanted 'more young people to have children, if they so choose'.
