Shared Parental Leave: Everything You Need to Know

What is Shared Parental Leave?

Shared Parental Leave, often shortened to SPL, lets eligible parents share part of the leave and pay that would otherwise be taken as maternity or adoption leave. It is one of the most flexible family leave options in the UK — and also one of the most commonly misunderstood.

SPL does not create extra leave on top of the statutory 52 weeks of maternity or adoption leave. Instead, the mother or primary adopter ends their leave early, and the untaken portion becomes available to share.

For example, if the mother takes 30 weeks of maternity leave, there may be up to 22 weeks remaining that could be used as Shared Parental Leave.

SPL can be used in different ways. One parent might return to work while the other takes over, both parents might be off at the same time, or the leave might be split into separate blocks around periods of work.

Who can take Shared Parental Leave?

Eligibility for SPL depends on a combination of employment, earnings and timing rules.

The parent taking SPL must usually be an employee and meet minimum continuity-of-employment requirements. The other parent must meet a separate work and earnings test.

This is one of the reasons SPL can feel complicated: eligibility depends on both parents’ circumstances. One parent might qualify to take SPL while the other does not qualify to take leave from their own employer.

Shared Parental Leave and Statutory Shared Parental Pay are also separate entitlements. You may qualify for the leave but not qualify for statutory pay during all of it.

It is therefore important to confirm the eligibility of both parents before making firm plans or ending maternity or adoption leave.

How much Shared Parental Leave can you take?

The maximum is usually up to 50 weeks of leave between both parents. That is because the mother or primary adopter must normally take at least 2 weeks of maternity or adoption leave, leaving the rest of the 52-week entitlement potentially available to share.

The amount actually available in any given family depends on how much maternity or adoption leave has already been taken before SPL begins.

The basic calculation is:

• 52 weeks of maternity or adoption leave, minus the leave already taken, equals the maximum SPL available.

How much is Shared Parental Pay?

Statutory Shared Parental Pay, often shortened to ShPP, can be available for up to 37 weeks between the parents.

For the 2026–27 tax year, it is paid at:

• £194.32 per week, or 90% of average weekly earnings if that is lower.

The amount available depends on how much Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay or Maternity Allowance has already been used.

The calculation is:

• 39 weeks of maternity or adoption pay, minus the paid weeks already used, equals the maximum ShPP available.

Shared Parental Pay is normally paid through payroll and is subject to the usual deductions for tax, National Insurance, pensions and student-loan repayments, where applicable.

How does Shared Parental Pay compare with maternity pay?

Shared Parental Pay is not always the same as Statutory Maternity Pay, and this is one of the most common misunderstandings when couples are trying to share their leave.

The first six weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay are paid at 90% of the mother’s average weekly earnings, with no statutory upper limit. This 90% rule does not apply for Shared Parental Pay and is only ever paid at a maximum of the statutory rate.

What is enhanced Shared Parental Pay?

Enhanced Shared Parental Pay is additional pay offered by an employer above the statutory minimum. It may also be called occupational or contractual shared parental pay.

Employer policies vary significantly. Some employers enhance both maternity pay and Shared Parental Pay, while others offer enhanced maternity pay but only statutory pay during SPL.

You should review both employers’ policies and confirm:

• How many weeks of SPL are enhanced.
• Whether there is a minimum length-of-service requirement.
• Whether enhanced SPL pay is reduced by maternity, adoption or paternity pay already received.
• already received. Whether there is a repayment clause if the employee does not return to work.
• Whether enhanced leave has to be taken in a particular pattern.

The difference between the two employers’ policies can completely change which parent should take particular weeks of leave.

Can both parents be off at the same time?

Yes. Eligible parents can take Shared Parental Leave at the same time. This can be useful where both parents want an extended period at home together, or where one parent needs additional support after the birth.

The trade-off is that the shared leave pot is used up faster when both parents are off together. If both parents take 4 weeks of Shared Parental Leave at the same time, that uses 8 weeks from the shared pot.

Does Shared Parental Leave replace paternity leave?

No. Paternity Leave and Shared Parental Leave are separate entitlements. An eligible parent can take Paternity Leave before or after Shared Parental Leave, or between periods of SPL. Paternity Leave does not reduce the amount of Shared Parental Leave available.

When can Shared Parental Leave start?

Shared Parental Leave cannot begin until the mother or primary adopter has taken the compulsory period of maternity or adoption leave. The mother or adopter must also formally end, or give notice that they will end, their maternity or adoption leave or pay. This is sometimes called curtailing maternity or adoption leave.

The mother or adopter does not have to return to work before the other parent begins SPL. The leave can end on a specified future date, allowing the other parent’s SPL to begin from that point. Because notice to end maternity or adoption leave can only be changed in specific circumstances, you should always confirm your plans and eligibility with both employers first and ensure you communicate clearly a future-dated end date ofr your maternity or adoption leave.

How much notice do you need to give?

You usually need to give at least 8 weeks' notice before taking Shared Parental Leave. There are also specific notices for ending maternity or adoption leave early and for booking the SPL itself.

This is why early planning matters. It is frustrating to discover that the leave pattern you wanted needs more notice than you have left.

Can your employer refuse Shared Parental Leave?

It depends on the kind of pattern you request, whether you seek to take a continuous or discontinuous block of leave.

If you are making a request for a single continuous block of leave and you are eligible and have given the required notice, your employer must accept this request.

If you request a discontinuous pattern, your employer may refuse this pattern in which case you may withdraw the leave request or instead take a continuous period leave for the period.

What does this mean?

Each parent can usually submit up to three notices to book or change Shared Parental Leave. A notice requesting one continuous block of leave must be accepted, while a single notice requesting several separate blocks can be refused.

In practice, this means an employee can use three separate notices to secure up to three continuous blocks of leave, provided each request is valid and gives the required notice. A request to change dates will also normally count towards the three-notice limit.

What should you check before using Shared Parental Leave?

Before committing to a plan, it is worth working through a few practical checks:

• Whether each parent is eligible for leave and pay
• How much leave is actually available once maternity or adoption leave has been taken
• Whether your employer offers enhanced pay, and how it compares between maternity and SPL

Employer policies can change the picture significantly. Some employers enhance maternity pay but not Shared Parental Pay, some enhance both, and some have rules about offsetting one against the other.

A simple example - separate periods of leave

Parent A is entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave and decides to take 26 weeks of leave before returning to work. That leaves up to 26 weeks that could be used as Shared Parental Leave.

From there, Parent B could take the 26 weeks of SPL, though only 13 of these weeks would be eligible for Shared Parental Pay.

A period of joint leave

Parent A is entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave and decides to take 32 weeks leave before returning to work. This leaves up to a total of 20 weeks leave remaining that can be used as SPL.

In order for Parent B to take leave immediately after the birth, Parent A submits a future-dated curtailment notice to state they will end their leave after 32 weeks. This creates the balance of leave to be used as SPL by Parent B, while Parent A is on maternity leave.

Common Shared Parental Leave planning mistakes

Shared Parental Leave is much more flexible than other leave types, but with this it can be easier to make mistakes when planning how to use your leave.

Treating SPL as extra leave

Shared Parental Leave comes from the untaken portion of maternity or adoption leave. It does not increase the total leave available.

Assuming both parents automatically qualify

Each parent must satisfy the relevant eligibility tests. Even if one parent is eligible for maternity leave, this doesn't necessarily mean the other parent can use that leave.

Giving up higher maternity pay

The first six weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay may be worth more than ShPP. Enhanced maternity pay may increase the difference further, ending maternity leave early can lose this additional pay.

Ending maternity leave so that parents can take leave simultaneously

If you are seeking to use Shared Parental Leave to take an extended joint period of leave, this doesn't require you to end your maternity leave. All this is required is a curtailment notice that makes clear when you will end your leave and return to work which can be several months later.

What to do next

Shared Parental Leave is not a single entitlement. It is a combination of maternity or adoption leave, SPL, statutory pay, employer enhancements, annual leave and return-to-work choices.

The most useful next step is to map the family’s leave week by week. Start with the expected date of birth or placement, add the planned maternity or adoption leave, and then calculate how many weeks of leave and pay remain available to share.

You should then compare different arrangements using the actual employer policies for both parents. A plan that looks straightforward in weeks can produce a very different result when translated into monthly household income.

Shared Parental Leave can give families much greater flexibility, but making good use of it depends on understanding who qualifies, how much leave and pay remain, and how each period will affect the family’s finances.