Paternity Pay Calculator
Work out Statutory Paternity Pay for dads and partners in 2026 to 2027: £194.32 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, for 1 or 2 weeks.
Your pay
Strictly, your average weekly earnings in the 8-week relevant period before the qualifying week. At least £129 a week to qualify.
Separate weeks pay the same weekly rate. Both must fall within 52 weeks of the birth.
Total paternity pay
Before tax and NI
Paternity Pay a week
Flat rate, 2026 to 2027
Employer top-up a week
No company scheme entered
Below your normal pay
Each week of leave
You receive the flat rate of £194.32 a week for 2 weeks, which is £497.99 a week less than your normal pay.
Week by week
| Week | Paternity Pay | Employer top-up | You receive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | £194.32 | £0.00 | £194.32 |
| Week 2 | £194.32 | £0.00 | £194.32 |
| Total before tax | £388.64 | ||
Your normal pay here is your gross pay converted to a week (£692.31). Weekly amounts are rounded to the nearest penny, so a payslip can differ by a penny or two. Income Tax and National Insurance are deducted from Paternity Pay in the normal way.
Statutory Paternity Pay is £194.32 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, for 2 weeks at most. The most anyone receives is £388.64 before tax. Unlike maternity pay, there are no weeks at an uncapped 90%.
To qualify you need 26 weeks with your employer up to the qualifying week, the 15th week before the baby is due, and average weekly earnings of at least £129. The calculator applies both tests and shows each week of pay.
How much is Statutory Paternity Pay in 2026 to 2027?
Statutory Paternity Pay is £194.32 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. The rate applies from 6 April 2026, one day after the Statutory Maternity Pay rate changes.
Weekly rate
Flat rate or 90%
- Flat rate
- £194.32
- Or, if lower
- 90% of earnings
90% is lower when average weekly earnings are below £215.91, about £11,227 a year.
How long
Same for twins
- Weeks
- 1 or 2
- Taken
- Together or apart
Both weeks must fall within 52 weeks of the birth.
Most you can get
2 weeks at the flat rate
- Total
- £388.64
Before Income Tax and National Insurance.
Paternity Pay at three salaries
Each example takes 2 weeks and meets the service test. Average weekly earnings are the yearly salary divided by 52.
£36,000 a year
About £692.31 a week
| Weeks | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2 weeks | capped at £194.32 | £388.64 |
| Total | £388.64 | |
Earnings are above the crossover, so the flat rate is paid.
£10,000 a year
About £192.31 a week
| Weeks | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2 weeks | 90% of £192.31 = £173.08 | £346.16 |
| Total | £346.16 | |
90% of earnings is below the flat rate, so 90% is paid.
£6,000 a year
About £115.38 a week
| Weeks | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2 weeks | Below the £129 lower earnings limit | £0.00 |
| Total | £0.00 | |
No Statutory Paternity Pay. Paternity leave is still available.
Do you get full pay on paternity leave?
Not by law. The statutory amount is the flat rate or 90% of your earnings, whichever is lower. Your employer can pay more through a company paternity scheme, but it cannot pay less than the statutory amount. Switch on “My employer pays full pay” in the calculator to see the top-up a full-pay scheme adds each week.
NHS and Civil Service paternity pay
Some public sector employers pay 2 weeks of paternity leave at full pay rather than the statutory rate.
NHS staff
NHS staff on Agenda for Change terms get 2 weeks of new parent support leave, which can be split into two one-week blocks and taken at any time in the first year after the birth or placement. It is paid at full pay, less any Statutory Paternity Pay, if you have 12 months' continuous service with one or more NHS employers before the leave starts. Full pay uses the same average weekly earnings rules as NHS maternity pay. Without 12 months' service you can still get Statutory Paternity Pay if you meet its conditions (NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, Section 15, paragraphs 15.113 to 15.117).
Civil Service departments
Civil Service paternity terms are set by each department. These departments state them on their recruitment pages:
| Department | Paternity terms stated | Page updated |
|---|---|---|
| Cabinet Office | 2 weeks on full pay | 26 September 2018 |
| MOD civil servants | 2 weeks on full pay | 17 September 2026 |
| HMRC | Up to 4 weeks of leave; pay and the extra 2 weeks depend on length of service | 8 June 2026 |
The DWP, DHSC, Ministry of Justice and DfE recruitment pages checked do not state paternity terms, so check your department's policy. Switch on “My employer pays full pay” in the calculator to see the top-up a full-pay scheme adds each week.
Who can get Paternity Pay?
You must be taking time off to look after the child and be the father, the husband or partner of the mother (including a same-sex partner), the child's adopter, or the intended parent in a surrogacy arrangement. For Statutory Paternity Pay you must also:
- be employed by your employer up to the date of birth
- earn an average of at least £129 a week before tax in the 8-week relevant period
- have been continuously employed by your employer for at least 26 weeks up to any day in the qualifying week, the 15th week before the baby is due
- give your employer the correct notice
The qualifying week is the same one that decides maternity pay. The Maternity Pay Qualifying Week Calculator works it out from the due date.
Paternity leave from day one
From 6 April 2026, employees are eligible for paternity leave from their first day of employment. The 26-week service test still applies to Paternity Pay, so a new employee can take the leave unpaid.
Can self-employed parents get Paternity Pay?
Statutory Paternity Pay is paid by an employer. The rules require you to be employed by that employer up to the birth and on their payroll, earning at least £129 a week.
When you can take Paternity Pay
- One week, two weeks together, or two separate single weeks. The separate-weeks option applies where the expected week of birth began after 6 April 2024.
- It cannot start before the birth.
- It must be taken within 52 weeks of the birth, or of the due date if the baby is early.
- You get the same amount for twins or more.
- A week of paternity leave is the number of days you normally work in a week.
How to claim Paternity Pay
You claim through your employer. You do not need to give proof of the pregnancy or birth.
- Tell your employer the due date and claim Paternity Pay at least 15 weeks before the week the baby is due. GOV.UK has an online form, which replaced form SC3, or your employer may have its own.
- At least 28 days before you want the leave, tell your employer when it starts and whether you want 1 or 2 weeks.
- Give 28 days' notice to change the start date.
If your baby is due before 25 July 2026 and you will have been employed for less than 26 weeks up to the qualifying week, you do not need to give the 15 weeks' notice. The 28 days' notice still applies.
If your employer says you do not qualify
Your employer must tell you within 28 days, using form SPP1, and give the reason.
If you lose your baby
You can still get Paternity Pay and leave if your baby is stillborn from 24 weeks of pregnancy, or born alive at any point in the pregnancy. You can take leave you booked before the loss, and book any leave you have left within 8 weeks of the death. You may also be eligible for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave.
Paying and reclaiming Paternity Pay
Employers pay Statutory Paternity Pay through payroll, with Income Tax and National Insurance deducted, and can usually reclaim 92% of it, or 109% with Small Employers' Relief. The reclaim rates are the same as for maternity pay, so the SMP Recovery Calculator shows how the two rates work. Keep records of the dates and payments for 3 years from the end of the tax year they relate to.
Paternity Pay questions
How much is 2 weeks' Paternity Pay?
At most £388.64 before tax: 2 weeks at £194.32. If 90% of your average weekly earnings is less than £194.32, you get 90% instead.
Is Paternity Pay taxed?
Yes. It is paid in the same way as your wages, weekly or monthly, and Income Tax and National Insurance are deducted.
Is Paternity Pay different in Scotland or Northern Ireland?
Scotland follows the same rules as England and Wales: the 2024 regulations on separate weeks and the 52-week window extend to all three. GOV.UK says Northern Ireland has different rules on paternity leave, and this calculator does not cover them.
Does Paternity Pay start on the day of the birth?
It can. You can choose the day of the birth (or the next day if you are at work that day), a set number of days after the birth, or a set date after the first day of the week the baby is due.
What this calculator does not cover
- Tax and deductions: figures are before Income Tax and National Insurance.
- Exact earnings: it converts your gross pay to a week. Your employer uses your actual earnings in the 8-week relevant period.
- Dates: it does not work out notice deadlines or the 52-week window.
- Adoption and surrogacy: the qualifying week and notice rules differ and are not modelled.
This is an estimate, not financial or employment advice; your payroll team confirms the final figures.
Sources
Every figure and rule on this page comes from GOV.UK, legislation.gov.uk and the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook. Checked 8 October 2026.
- Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 (HMRC, updated 30 September 2026)
- Paternity Pay and Leave (GOV.UK, updated 5 October 2026)
- Statutory Paternity Pay and Leave: employer guide (GOV.UK, updated 5 October 2026)
- The Statutory Paternity Pay (Amendment) Regulations 2024 (SI 2024/121, legislation.gov.uk)
- NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, Section 15 (NHS Employers): new parent support leave and pay
- Cabinet Office recruitment page (GOV.UK, updated 26 September 2018)
- MOD civil servants recruitment page (GOV.UK, updated 17 September 2026)
- HMRC recruitment page (GOV.UK, updated 8 June 2026)
Weekly amounts are rounded to the nearest penny, so a payslip can differ by a penny or two. The Methodology and sources page lists every rate the site uses.