Free Paternity Pay Calculator

UK Paternity Pay Calculator

Find out exactly how much Statutory Paternity Pay your employee is entitled to. Enter their average weekly earnings and leave duration — we'll handle the rest.

Used by hundreds of UK businesses
  • Free to use
  • No sign-up required
  • UK statutory rates built in
Track leave with TimeTallyPaternity leave comes set up: staff book it from their phone, you approve it, and its statutory pay goes into your payroll export. £3 per employee a month.Paternity leave set up · £3 per employee

2026/27 rates Checked against GOV.UK on 2 October 2026

The due date, even if the baby comes early or late.

How they take the leave
Paternity pay a week
£194.32
Total for 2 weeks
£388.64
  • Paternity leave: yesYes, from their first day (a day-one right since 6 April 2026)
  • 26 weeks with you by the qualifying week: not checked yetAdd the due date and their start date to check
  • Earns at least £129 a week: yes£600.00 a week

90% of £600.00 is £540.00 a week, more than the £194.32 flat rate, so £194.32 is paid: 2 × £194.32 = £388.64, before tax and National Insurance. This assumes they have 26 weeks with you by the qualifying week.

Want to track paternity leave automatically? Try TimeTally free →

The year around the birth

When they qualify, and when they can take it

Paternity pay hangs on two dates: 26 weeks with you by the qualifying week, 15 weeks before the baby is due, and leave inside the 52 weeks after the birth. Two weeks at £194.32 come to £388.64. Add the due date to see the real dates.

Add the due date
£388.64 paternity pay
A week
£194.32
Leave
2 weeks together
Pay tests
Add the dates

Before the birth

40 weeks before the due week, to the due week
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  26. 15 weeks before the due week, the qualifying week
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  40. 1 weeks before the due week
  41. The week the baby is due

After the birth

The 52 weeks all the leave must end within
  1. Week 1 after the birth, paternity leave paid £194.32
  2. Week 2 after the birth, paternity leave paid £194.32
  3. Week 3 after the birth
  4. Week 4 after the birth
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  52. Week 52 after the birth
  1. 26 weeks with youTo get paternity pay they need 26 weeks with you by the qualifying week. Paternity leave needs none: it is a day-one right since 6 April 2026.
  2. The qualifying weekThe 15th week before the week the baby is due. Pay is averaged over the 8 weeks up to it, and they tell you about the baby by its end.
  3. 28 days' noticeThey give at least 28 days' notice of when the leave starts. They can give "the day of the birth" rather than a date.
  4. Baby duePaternity leave can't start before the birth.
  5. Two weeks togetherBoth weeks in one block, from the birth. Paid at £194.32 a week.
  6. 52 weeks after the birthAll the leave must end within 52 weeks of the birth.

How much is Statutory Paternity Pay?

Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) is £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, for 1 or 2 weeks (2026/27 rate, from 6 April 2026). Paternity leave is a day-one right; SPP needs 26 weeks' continuous employment into the qualifying week and average earnings of at least £129 a week. The leave can be taken as one 2-week block or two separate weeks, ending within 52 weeks of the birth.

Worked example: average weekly earnings of £600, taking 2 weeks

  1. 90% of £600 = £540 a week.
  2. £194.32 is lower than £540, so SPP is £194.32 a week.
  3. 2 weeks × £194.32 = £388.64.

Total SPP: £388.64 before tax and National Insurance. (On £200 a week, 90% is £180, which is lower, so 2 weeks would pay £360.)

From the calculator to the leave record

Manage paternity leave without the admin headache

This calculator gives you the numbers. TimeTally handles the requests, approvals, and payroll exports — so every paternity leave is tracked and paid correctly. From £3/employee/month.

  • Leave requests managed in one place

    Employees submit paternity leave requests directly from the iPhone or Android app, or web dashboard. Managers see every request instantly and can approve with a single tap — no email chains, no paper forms.

    • Requested from the iPhone or Android app, or web
    • Approval emailed to them
    • No email chains or paper forms
    • Leave included in payroll exports
    Manage leave with TimeTally
    TimeTally app on iPhone: an employee books Paternity Leave with a start date and the due date, and sees the leave period, 1 to 14 March, 2 weeksA Paternity Leave request in TimeTally waiting for approval: 10 days, the expected date, and £388.64 of statutory pay at £194.32 a week, with Approve and Reject
  • Set up for UK paternity pay

    Paternity Leave is one of the leave types every account starts with: 2 weeks, paid at £194.32 a week or 90% of earnings, whichever is lower. If your policy pays more, change the weeks or the pay in Settings.

    • 2 weeks at the statutory rate
    • Kept apart from the holiday balance
    • Your own enhanced pay if you offer it
    TimeTally's Paternity Leave settings: 2 weeks, paid at £194.32 a week or 90% of earnings, whichever is lower
  • Holiday they couldn't take carries over

    When someone has paternity leave approved in a leave year, TimeTally carries their unused holiday into the next one, up to the statutory 5.6 weeks, whatever your usual carryover rule.

    • Up to 5.6 weeks protected
    • Whatever your carryover policy
  • See who's off and plan ahead

    All approved leave appears on a shared team calendar. See paternity, maternity, and annual leave side by side — plan cover before gaps appear.

    • Team calendar
    • All leave types
    • Plan cover
    • Who's off this week
    TimeTally team leave calendar showing how many people are off each day of the month
  • Paternity pay in the payroll export

    Approved paternity leave feeds directly into your payroll summary, at the statutory rate worked out from their hourly rate and working week. Check it, then export to Xero, QuickBooks, or CSV — no manual data entry, clean audit trail every time.

    • Auto calculations
    • Xero & QuickBooks
    • CSV export
    • Clean audit trail
    Manage leave with TimeTally
    TimeTally's payroll export, checked before it is sent: five people's paid leave, with Daniel Okafor's two weeks of paternity leave at £388.64

TimeTally does this for you

Select any feature for the detail.

  • Employees see their current balance and their projected future balance — accounting for leave already booked but not yet taken. Optionally let staff see who else in their department has booked time off, so they can plan around colleagues. Managers can manually adjust any employee's balance at any time — ideal when setting up mid-year from a previous system.

  • Pick the accrual method that fits each employee: upfront (full entitlement from day one), monthly accrual (earned gradually each month), daily accrual (builds day by day), or hours worked (earned per hour worked at a rate you set, 12.07% by default). All calculations are handled automatically — no spreadsheets needed.

  • TimeTally comes with annual leave, sick leave, maternity, paternity and bank holidays set up. Need something else, like compassionate leave? Create unlimited custom leave types with any name. For each type you control: whether it's paid or unpaid, whether it deducts from the annual leave balance or has its own separate pot, and who it's turned off for.

  • Decide exactly what happens at year end: toggle carryover on or off, set a maximum number of days that can carry, and optionally add an expiry date so carried-over days must be used within e.g. 3 months. You can also allow employees to book leave before they've earned it (negative balance), with an optional cap to limit exposure.

  • Set each employee's contracted hours per day of the week (or use a company default). TimeTally uses this to deduct the right amount of leave — a half-day Tuesday only costs half a Tuesday's hours — and to pay the correct amount for each day taken. Pro-rata entitlements for new starters and leavers are calculated automatically from their start date.

  • Employees can request leave in hours, half days, or full days from the app or website — no training required. Managers can book leave on behalf of any employee. Public holidays are added automatically for the country you choose. Set a custom leave year start date (e.g. 7th April) and balances reset automatically. Easy to set up even when migrating from another system mid-year.

  • Managers can approve any leave request in one tap. Rejections include an optional reason so employees know why, and they can send a new request. Employees can also ask to change or cancel approved leave, and you approve or turn it down. Any booked leave can be deleted if plans change, and the days go back on the balance — all with a full audit trail.

  • Leave sits in the main team calendar alongside timesheets and rota shifts — one view of the whole business. If you use time tracking, overtime converts to TOIL automatically at a rate you define. Leave analytics give managers a clear picture of absence patterns, entitlement usage, and remaining balances across the whole team.

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“TimeTally has been excellent for our business. The app is simple to use, reliable, and makes managing holidays, absences, and staff records straightforward. The system has saved us a significant amount of administration time and gives both managers and employees clear visibility of leave balances and requests. Highly recommended for any business looking for an easy-to-use workforce management solution.”

CLI ManchesterJordan Ingoe, CLI Manchester

Statutory paternity leave and pay: the complete employer guide

Paternity rights changed significantly in 2024 and 2026 — here's what employers need to know.

  1. Before 6 April 2024

    One block, within 8 weeks

    • 1 week, or 2 weeks together
    • Taken within 56 days of the birth
    • 26 weeks' service for the leave and the pay
  2. From 6 April 2024

    Two separate weeks, within a year

    • 2 weeks together or as two separate weeks
    • Any time in the 52 weeks after the birth
    • 28 days' notice of each week
  3. From 6 April 2026

    Leave from day one

    • Paternity leave from their first day
    • Can come after shared parental leave too
    • Pay still needs 26 weeks and £129 a week
  1. Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) Rate

    Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) is paid at the lower of 90% of the employee's average weekly earnings or the weekly SPP flat rate (£194.32 from April 2026). It is payable for up to two weeks of statutory paternity leave. SPP is administered through the employer's payroll and recovered from HMRC: small employers who paid £45,000 or less in Class 1 National Insurance in the last complete tax year can reclaim 109%; other employers reclaim 92%. Only the statutory element of any SPP payment is recoverable — any enhanced top-up is entirely at the employer's cost.

  2. Ordinary Paternity Leave Entitlement

    Eligible employees are entitled to one or two weeks of statutory paternity leave. The two weeks cannot be taken as individual days — leave must be taken as either one complete week or two complete weeks. From April 2024, the two weeks no longer need to be consecutive and can be taken at any point within the first 52 weeks of the child's birth or adoption placement (previously this window was only 56 days). Employers should update policies and self-service systems to reflect the extended and flexible window.

  3. Leave: day one since April 2026

    Qualifying for SPP

    To qualify for Statutory Paternity Pay, an employee must have at least 26 weeks' continuous service with the employer by the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth; be earning at or above the lower earnings limit (£129 per week in 2026/27) averaged over the eight weeks before the qualifying week; and still be employed by the employer at the date of the child's birth. They must also satisfy the relationship condition — being the biological father, the mother's civil partner or partner, or an adoptive parent. Paternity leave itself needs no length of service: since 6 April 2026 it is a day-one right.

  4. Changed April 2024

    Paternity Leave Timing Flexibility

    Following changes that took effect from April 2024 under the Paternity Leave (Amendment) Regulations 2024, fathers and partners can now take their two weeks of statutory paternity leave as two separate non-consecutive weeks, at any point up to 52 weeks after the birth or adoption placement. Previously, leave had to be taken within 56 days and in a single block. The minimum notice for each period of leave is 28 days. This change brings UK paternity leave significantly closer to the flexibility offered by Shared Parental Leave.

  5. Enhanced Paternity Pay Schemes

    There is no legal obligation on employers to pay more than the statutory SPP rate, but many offer enhanced paternity pay as part of a competitive benefits package. Enhanced pay is entirely contractual and typically covers the two weeks of paternity leave at the employee's full or partial salary. The enhanced element is subject to PAYE and National Insurance in full and cannot be reclaimed from HMRC. Where enhanced paternity pay is offered, it must be made available consistently to all eligible employees — restricting it to certain groups without justification may create discrimination risk.

  6. Changed April 2026

    Shared Parental Leave as an Alternative

    Shared Parental Leave (SPL) enables eligible couples to share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) in the first year following birth or adoption. To take SPL, the primary carer must curtail their maternity or adoption leave. ShPP is paid at the same weekly rate as SPP. Since 6 April 2026, paternity leave and pay can be taken before or after Shared Parental Leave; until then, a parent who had taken SPL lost the right to paternity leave. Employers with enhanced maternity pay policies should consider whether an equivalent enhanced ShPP rate is also required under sex discrimination law.

  7. Annual Leave Accrual During Paternity

    Annual leave — including contractual leave above the statutory minimum — continues to accrue in full during statutory paternity leave. Where paternity leave spans a leave year boundary, any leave accrued in the old year that the employee was unable to take because of paternity leave should be allowed to carry over into the new leave year, even if the policy normally operates a strict use-it-or-lose-it rule. Employers should adjust leave balance records on return to reflect the full accrual.

  8. Paternity Rights for Adoptive and Intended Parents

    The right to statutory paternity leave and SPP applies equally to adoptive parents — one adoptive parent may take adoption leave while the other takes paternity leave. For surrogacy arrangements, the intended parent who is not taking adoption leave may take statutory paternity leave, provided the qualifying conditions are met. Foster parents do not have an automatic statutory entitlement to paternity or adoption leave, although some local authorities offer contractual arrangements for approved foster carers. Employers should consider their contractual terms to ensure consistent treatment across all family-forming routes.

Understanding UK Statutory Paternity Pay

Everything you need to know about paternity pay under UK law. For related topics, try our maternity leave calculator or holiday entitlement calculator.

Who qualifies for statutory paternity leave?

Paternity leave is a day-one right: an employee qualifies from their first day of employment, provided they give the correct notice. Statutory Paternity Pay has extra conditions: at least 26 weeks' continuous employment up to any day in the qualifying week (the 15th week before the baby is due, or the week the child is matched for adoption), and average earnings of at least £129 a week (the 2026/27 Lower Earnings Limit). In both cases they must be the biological father of the child, the mother's husband or civil partner, or the mother's partner living in an enduring family relationship with her and the child.

How much is statutory paternity pay in 2026?

Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) for 2026/27 (from 6 April 2026) is paid at the lower of: the flat rate of £194.32 per week, or 90% of your average weekly earnings. If 90% of your earnings is more than £194.32, you receive the flat rate. If 90% of your earnings is below £194.32, you receive the 90% rate instead. You must earn at least the Lower Earnings Limit of £129 a week to receive any SPP.

Can I take paternity leave as two separate weeks?

Yes. You can take 1 week or 2 weeks, and the 2 weeks can be taken together or as two separate 1-week blocks. You cannot take it as odd days. The leave must end within 52 weeks of the baby's birth (or the due date if the baby is early), or of the placement for adoption. Tell your employer the due date at least 15 weeks before the baby is due, and give 28 days' notice of each period of leave.

Does statutory paternity pay count as earnings for National Minimum Wage purposes?

No. Statutory Paternity Pay is a social security benefit paid by the employer and reclaimed from HMRC — it is not treated as wages for National Minimum Wage (NMW) purposes. This means SPP does not count towards NMW compliance calculations. Employers can usually reclaim 92% of SPP from HMRC (or 109% if they qualify for Small Employers' Relief).

Can I take paternity leave and shared parental leave?

Yes. Shared Parental Leave (SPL) is entirely separate from paternity leave and does not replace it. Paternity leave can be taken before or after Shared Parental Leave, as long as it ends within 52 weeks of the birth. If the mother ends her maternity leave early, the remaining entitlement can be shared between both parents as SPL. You can take up to 50 weeks of SPL in total (between both parents), provided the mother ends her maternity leave early to create the entitlement.

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