# Shared Parental Leave and Pay in 2026/27: who qualifies and how it works > Shared Parental Leave lets two parents split up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay in a baby's first year. This guide explains who qualifies… - URL: https://centiview.com/uk-money/shared-parental-leave-and-pay-2026-27 - Published: 2026-10-14T12:37:00.000Z - Figures checked: 2026-10-14 - Edited by David A - Topic: Life events (UK) - Publisher: Centiview (Persie Ltd, London) - General information only, not financial advice Shared Parental Leave lets two parents split up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay in a baby's first year. This guide explains who qualifies, the 2026/27 pay rate and the notice rules. ## What Shared Parental Leave is Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) let parents share time off after a birth or adoption. Instead of one parent taking all the maternity or adoption leave, the mother or adopter can end that leave early and the remaining weeks can be shared with a partner. In total, up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay can be shared between the two parents. Maternity or adoption leave must be cut to under 52 weeks and maternity or adoption pay (or Maternity Allowance) to under 39 weeks to free up the shared weeks. > **Key numbers** Up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay can be shared. ShPP in 2026/27 (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027) is £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. Figures checked on 14 October 2026. ## A worked example GOV.UK gives this example. If a mother takes 22 weeks of Maternity Leave and Statutory Maternity Pay, she could then share the other 30 weeks of leave and 17 weeks of pay with her partner. Leave can be taken in blocks with periods of work in between, or all in one go, and parents can be off at the same time or take turns. All the shared leave and pay must be used within the first year after the child is born or placed with the family. ## Who can qualify Both parents have to meet the rules, and both must share responsibility for the child at birth. The rules for birth parents, as set out by GOV.UK, include these points: - Each parent taking SPL must be an employee, not just a worker, and must have worked for the same employer continuously for at least 26 weeks up to the end of the 15th week before the due date. They must still be with that employer in the week before their leave starts. - To get ShPP, a parent must earn on average at least £129 a week. This matches the 2026/27 Lower Earnings Limit. - The other parent must have worked at least 26 of the 66 weeks before the baby's due week, and earned at least £390 in total across any 13 of those weeks. There are separate rules for adoption and surrogacy. A worker who is not an employee might qualify for ShPP but not SPL, so it can be worth reading the full eligibility pages. ## Notice and booking Leave is not automatic. A parent has to tell their employer they plan to take SPL and ShPP, and must give at least 8 weeks' written notice of the leave dates. Acas forms or an employer's own forms can be used. Dates can be changed, again with at least 8 weeks' notice before any leave starts. An employer can ask for more information within 14 days of an application, and the employee then has 14 days to reply. Paternity Leave and Pay can be taken before or after SPL and ShPP. ## Who this guide applies to, and who it does not > **Who this affects** Employed parents expecting a baby, or adopting, who want to share time off. It is not a guide for people who only want standard maternity or paternity entitlements, or for people claiming adoption leave on its own. The GOV.UK pages used here do not say whether Northern Ireland has different rules, so readers there may wish to check the arrangements that apply locally. Some employers also offer pay above the statutory amount, which is set by each employer's own policy. ## Check before you act Rules, rates and thresholds change, and individual circumstances differ. It can be worth confirming the details on the official GOV.UK pages linked below, and asking an employer's HR team or Acas, before relying on any dates or figures here. ### Sources - [GOV.UK, Shared Parental Leave and Pay](https://www.gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay) - [GOV.UK, Eligibility for birth parents](https://www.gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay/eligibility-for-birth-parents) - [GOV.UK, What you'll get](https://www.gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay/what-youll-get) - [GOV.UK, Applying for leave and pay](https://www.gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay/applying-for-leave-and-pay) - [GOV.UK, Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rates-and-thresholds-for-employers-2026-to-2027)