Shared Parental Pay Calculator
See how many weeks of Statutory Shared Parental Pay are left once maternity pay ends early, how you split them, and what each of you receives before tax.
The mother
2 to 39. The mother must take at least 2 weeks of maternity leave after the birth.
She qualifies for SMP, and her partner worked 26 of the 66 weeks before the due week and earned £390 in 13 of them.
The partner
26 weeks with their employer by the end of the 15th week before the due date, and the mother worked 26 of the 66 weeks and earned £390 in 13 of them.
Household statutory pay
Before tax and NI
ShPP weeks to share
Of up to 37
Partner's ShPP
17 weeks at £194.32
Unused weeks
Not booked by the first birthday
Ending SMP after 22 weeks leaves 17 weeks of Shared Parental Pay to share. Together you receive £9,527.94 in statutory pay before tax.
Who gets what
| Payment | Weeks | A week | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mother's SMP | 22 | 90% for 6 weeks, then capped | £6,224.50 |
| Mother's Shared Parental Pay | 0 | £194.32 | £0.00 |
| Partner's Shared Parental Pay | 17 | £194.32 | £3,303.44 |
| Unused ShPP weeks | 0 | £0.00 | |
| Household total before tax | £9,527.94 | ||
If maternity leave ends at the same time as the pay, it creates 30 weeks of Shared Parental Leave. Shared Parental Pay has no 90% weeks: it is £194.32 or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, from the first week. Weekly amounts are rounded to the nearest penny, so a payslip can differ by a penny or two.
Statutory Shared Parental Pay is the 39 weeks of maternity pay less the weeks the mother has already taken, up to 37 weeks. It is paid at £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, and the parents can split the weeks between them.
A mother who ends Statutory Maternity Pay after 22 weeks leaves 17 weeks of Shared Parental Pay. Both parents must pass the eligibility tests, and the pay must be taken before the child's first birthday.
How much is Shared Parental Pay in 2026 to 2027?
Shared Parental Pay is £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, from 6 April 2026.
Weekly rate
Every week of ShPP
- Flat rate
- £194.32
- Or, if lower
- 90% of earnings
Unlike SMP, there are no 6 weeks at an uncapped 90%.
Pay to share
39 weeks less maternity pay
- Most
- 37 weeks
The mother must take at least 2 weeks of maternity leave after the birth.
Leave to share
52 weeks less maternity leave
- Most
- 50 weeks
Leave beyond the pay weeks is unpaid.
GOV.UK's own example: a mother earning £300 a week gets £3,174.56 of SMP over 14 weeks (6 weeks at £270, then 8 weeks at £194.32). When she moves onto shared parental leave she is still paid £194.32 a week, because Shared Parental Pay is the same rate as SMP after week 6.
How many weeks of Shared Parental Pay can you get?
Take the weeks of SMP or Maternity Allowance the mother uses away from 39. What is left can be shared, up to 37 weeks.
| Weeks of maternity pay taken | Shared Parental Pay left | Shared Parental Leave left |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 37 weeks | 50 weeks |
| 6 | 33 weeks | 46 weeks |
| 12 | 27 weeks | 40 weeks |
| 22 | 17 weeks | 30 weeks |
| 26 | 13 weeks | 26 weeks |
| 39 | 0 weeks | 13 weeks |
The leave column assumes maternity leave ends at the same time as the pay. If leave started before the birth, the leave weeks are counted from that start.
Splitting the weeks between you
The mother earns £30,000 a year and ends SMP after 22 weeks. Her partner earns £36,000 and takes the 17 weeks left.
| Payment | Weeks | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Mother's SMP | 22 | £6,224.50 |
| Partner's Shared Parental Pay | 17 | £3,303.44 |
| Together, before tax | £9,527.94 | |
That is exactly what the mother would get from 39 weeks of SMP alone, £9,527.94. Sharing moves the pay between you; it does not add to it, as long as the mother keeps the first 6 weeks and the partner earns enough to get the flat rate.
When sharing pays less
- Ending SMP inside the first 6 weeks. If the mother stops after 2 weeks and the partner takes all 37, the household gets £8,228.30, which is £1,299.64 less, because the uncapped 90% weeks are lost.
- A lower-earning partner. On £10,000 a year the partner gets 90% of earnings, £173.08 a week, so the same 17 weeks pay £361.08 less.
Who can get Shared Parental Pay?
Both parents must share responsibility for the child at birth. The parent who takes Shared Parental Pay must:
- 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 that employer until the week before their leave starts
- earn on average at least £129 a week
The other parent must have worked for at least 26 of the 66 weeks before the week the baby is due, and earned at least £390 in total across any 13 of those weeks. The weeks do not need to be in a row.
Which routes lead to Shared Parental Pay?
- An employee eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay or Statutory Adoption Pay.
- An employee eligible for Statutory Paternity Pay whose partner is eligible for SMP, Maternity Allowance or Statutory Adoption Pay.
- A worker, rather than an employee, eligible for SMP or Statutory Paternity Pay. A worker can get the pay but not the leave.
A mother on Maternity Allowance cannot take Shared Parental Pay herself, but ending her allowance early can create weeks for an eligible partner. Shared Parental Leave and Pay are only available in England, Scotland and Wales.
How to end maternity pay and start Shared Parental Pay
- The mother gives her employer binding notice of the date her maternity pay will end. On Maternity Allowance she tells Jobcentre Plus instead.
- She must take at least 2 weeks of maternity leave after the birth, or 4 weeks if she works in a factory.
- Once binding notice is given, the partner can start Shared Parental Pay while the mother is still on maternity pay.
- Maternity pay cannot be restarted once it has ended.
- Each parent gives their employer at least 8 weeks' written notice of their leave dates.
The mother can change her mind only before the planned end date and before returning to work, and only if neither parent turns out to be eligible, the partner has died, or she tells her employer less than 6 weeks after the birth having given notice before it.
Booking blocks of leave
Each parent can book up to 3 separate blocks of Shared Parental Leave, or more if the employer agrees, with at least 8 weeks' notice before each block. You can be off at the same time or take turns. With the employer's agreement a block can be split into shorter periods of at least a week.
Each parent can work up to 20 Shared Parental Leave in touch (SPLIT) days during the leave. These are on top of the 10 keeping in touch days available during maternity leave, which Keeping in Touch Days Pay explains.
Shared Parental Pay questions
When does Shared Parental Pay have to be taken?
Between the birth and the child's first birthday, or within a year of an adoption placement.
Can we both be off work at the same time?
Yes. You can take leave together or stagger it, in blocks or in one go.
Does Shared Parental Pay replace Paternity Pay?
No. The partner can take Paternity Pay before or after Shared Parental Pay. The Paternity Pay Calculator works out those 2 weeks, and the calculator above can add them to the household total.
Can an employer pay more than the statutory rate?
Yes. An employer can top up Shared Parental Pay through its own scheme, which may or may not match its maternity scheme. The Enhanced Maternity Pay Calculator shows how a maternity top-up works week by week.
How is Shared Parental Pay paid?
By the employer, in the same way as other statutory payments such as SMP, through payroll.
What this calculator does not cover
- Tax and deductions: figures are before Income Tax and National Insurance.
- Dates: notice deadlines and the first-birthday cut-off are not worked out.
- Adoption and surrogacy: the qualifying week differs and Statutory Adoption Pay is not modelled.
- Northern Ireland: the scheme covers England, Scotland and Wales only.
- Maternity Allowance: worked out on the employed route, the lower of £194.32 and 90% of earnings.
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. Checked 8 October 2026.
- Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 (HMRC, updated 30 September 2026)
- Shared Parental Leave and Pay (GOV.UK, updated 5 October 2026)
- Shared Parental Leave and Pay: employer guide (GOV.UK, updated 5 October 2026)
- Shared parental leave and pay: employers' technical guide (Department for Business and Trade, updated 17 September 2026)
- Maternity Allowance (GOV.UK)
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.