Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay
If your child dies before they turn 18, or your baby is stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy, you can take up to 2 weeks of Parental Bereavement Leave. Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay for those weeks is £194.32 a week, or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that is lower.
£194.32 a week
Or 90% of earnings if lower
2 weeks
Together or as 2 separate weeks
56 weeks
To take it, from the date of the loss
NI miscarriage
Paid leave since 6 April 2026
If you need someone to talk to: Sands supports anyone affected by pregnancy or baby loss, Tommy's offers pregnancy and baby loss support, and Miscarriage UK offers miscarriage support and advice. In Northern Ireland, Bereaved NI lists pregnancy and baby loss services.
By Idiris Chadburn, UK payroll professional
What is Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay?
Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay is £194.32 a week, or 90% of your average weekly earnings if lower, paid by your employer for 1 or 2 weeks after your child dies or is stillborn.
There are two separate rights, and you can have one without the other:
- Parental Bereavement Leave: up to 2 weeks off work for each child who has died or was stillborn.
- Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay: the weekly pay for those weeks, if you meet the service and earnings tests.
In Great Britain both apply when a child dies under the age of 18 or a baby is stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Your employment rights are protected while you are on the leave, including pay rises, building up holiday and your right to return to work. In Northern Ireland the same rights also cover a miscarriage before 24 weeks, as set out below.
How much is Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay?
You get £194.32 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. Someone earning £180 a week gets £162.00 a week.
The £194.32 rate applies from 6 April 2026, for the 2026 to 2027 tax year. Unlike Statutory Maternity Pay there is no higher first period: every week is paid at the same rate. It is paid the same way as your wages, weekly or monthly, with Income Tax and National Insurance taken off.
| Average weekly earnings | 90% of earnings | Weekly pay | 2 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| £180.00 | £162.00 | £162.00 | £324.00 |
| £400.00 | £360.00 | £194.32 | £388.64 |
Worked example. You earn £180.00 a week before tax. 90% of that is £162.00, which is below £194.32, so you get £162.00 a week, or £324.00 for 2 weeks. On £400.00 a week, 90% is £360.00, so the pay is capped at £194.32.
Average weekly earnings are usually worked out over the 8 weeks before the week the child died, using pay subject to Class 1 National Insurance. Your employer can pay you more under its own scheme. The Maternity Pay After Tax Calculator shows how tax and National Insurance come off statutory pay.
Who qualifies for parental bereavement leave and pay?
In Great Britain the leave is a day-one right for employees. The pay needs 26 weeks' continuous employment up to the relevant week and average earnings of at least £129 a week.
You must meet the test both as a parent and as an employee. At the time of the death or stillbirth you must have been one of these:
- the child's parent: biological, adoptive, or a parent of a child born to a surrogate
- the partner of the child's parent
- someone who, with their partner, had the child living with them for 4 continuous weeks ending with the death, with day to day responsibility for the child's care
Adoptive parents qualify after the adoption order, or before it if the child was placed with them and the placement was not disrupted. (Pay while you are adopting is covered by the Statutory Adoption Pay Calculator.) Paid carers do not qualify, except foster parents paid a fee or allowance by a local authority and a few other listed cases.
| Test | Leave | Pay |
|---|---|---|
| Employee status | Must be an employee | Must be an employee |
| Length of service | None, from day one | 26 weeks by the end of the relevant week |
| Earnings | No test | £129 a week on average, over 8 weeks |
| Notice | Before you take the leave | Written claim within 28 days |
The relevant week is the week, ending on a Saturday, immediately before the week of the death or stillbirth, and you must still be employed by the same employer on the day of the death or stillbirth. The £129 threshold is the same lower earnings limit used for Statutory Maternity Pay.
When can you take the leave, and what notice do you give?
You can take 2 weeks together, 2 separate weeks or just 1 week, starting any time on or after the death or stillbirth and finishing within 56 weeks of it.
A week means the number of days you normally work in a week, so for someone who works Mondays and Tuesdays a week of leave is 2 days. The notice depends on when you take it:
Within 8 weeks of the death or stillbirth
Tell your employer before the time you would normally start work on the first day of the leave. A phone call, voicemail, text or email is enough.From 9 to 56 weeks after
Give at least one week's notice before the start of the week or weeks you want off.Claim the pay in writing
Ask for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay within 28 days, starting from the first day of the week you are claiming for. Give your name, the dates and the date of the death or stillbirth.Make the declaration once
Confirm in writing that you are eligible because of your relationship to the child. You can use the GOV.UK online form, a letter or your employer's own form.
You do not need to give proof of the death or stillbirth. Your employer cannot ask for notice of leave in writing, evidence of entitlement to leave, or details of your relationship to the child.
If you are already on another statutory leave, such as maternity or paternity leave, bereavement leave starts after that leave ends, though not necessarily straight after. You can also take it between blocks of shared parental leave booked before the child died. The Shared Parental Pay Calculator shows how those blocks are paid.
Do you still get maternity pay after a stillbirth?
Yes. If your baby is stillborn after the start of the 24th week of pregnancy, you can still get maternity leave and Statutory Maternity Pay for up to 39 weeks if you qualify.
GOV.UK lists three cases where Statutory Maternity Leave and SMP still apply: your baby is born early, is stillborn after the start of your 24th week of pregnancy, or dies after being born. Maternity leave can run to 52 weeks, and SMP follows the usual pattern: 6 weeks at 90% of your earnings, then 33 weeks at £194.32 or 90% if lower. The Maternity Pay Calculator shows the amounts week by week.
If you do not qualify for SMP, Maternity Allowance can still be paid if the baby is stillborn from the start of the 24th week of pregnancy. Parental Bereavement Leave comes on top: Acas says both parents may be entitled to 2 weeks after they finish their maternity or paternity leave.
Acas also notes that the legal name for the time off is still maternity or paternity leave, but someone whose baby has died may not want to call it that, and employers should follow the employee's preference.
Paternity leave and pay after a stillbirth
Partners still get Paternity Leave and Pay if the baby is stillborn from 24 weeks of pregnancy, or born alive at any point. Leave left to book must be taken within 8 weeks of the death.
Any paternity leave you booked before the loss can still be taken. Your partner may also be eligible for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave, after the paternity leave ends. Statutory Paternity Pay is the same £194.32 a week or 90% of earnings if lower; the Paternity Pay Calculator works it out.
Is there miscarriage leave in England, Scotland and Wales?
Not yet. A miscarriage in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy gives no right to maternity, paternity or parental bereavement leave or pay in Great Britain today. Unpaid pregnancy loss leave of up to 2 weeks is planned for April 2027.
Acas says that if a miscarriage happens in the first 24 weeks, any sickness absence the birth mother needs is likely to count as pregnancy-related sickness. Pregnancy and maternity is a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, so unfavourable treatment because of that sickness could be discrimination. Employers should record it separately from other sickness and not count it towards absence trigger points.
If you are too ill to work, you may get Statutory Sick Pay of £123.25 a week, or 80% of your normal weekly earnings if lower, for up to 28 weeks. You do not have to tell your employer about a miscarriage, but some employers offer paid leave for pregnancy loss, so it is worth checking your policy.
Announced, not yet law (22 September 2026). The government says women and their partners who have a pregnancy loss before 24 weeks, including miscarriage, terminations and unsuccessful IVF embryo transfers, will be entitled to up to 2 weeks of unpaid leave from April 2027. It will also cover the other biological parent and intended parents in a surrogacy arrangement. The government says the leave will be able to be taken flexibly within 56 weeks, and no one will be asked for evidence of their loss. It is due to be made by secondary legislation in 2027, which has not been laid yet.
Miscarriage leave and pay in Northern Ireland
Since 6 April 2026, employees in Northern Ireland can take up to 2 weeks of paid parental bereavement leave after a miscarriage before 24 weeks, at £194.32 a week or 90% of earnings if lower.
The Department for the Economy says Northern Ireland is the only region on these islands with paid bereavement leave for miscarriage. The right covers the person who had the miscarriage and someone closely connected: their partner, the baby's biological parent, or an intended parent in a surrogacy arrangement. It applies where the miscarriage happened, or was discovered, on or after 6 April 2026.
- It includes miscarriage after a medical or surgical intervention, ectopic and molar pregnancy, the loss of one twin, and IVF pregnancy loss.
- You only make a declaration. You do not need to share details or give medical evidence, and your employer cannot ask for them.
- From the same date, Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay is a day-one right in Northern Ireland for child death and stillbirth too: the 26-week service test is removed. You still need average earnings of £129 a week.
The change to the service and earnings rules for pay was made by the Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (Employment and Earnings) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026. The other rules, including the 56 weeks and the notice periods, are the same as for a death or stillbirth. More on the Northern Ireland differences is in Maternity pay in Northern Ireland.
| Great Britain | Northern Ireland | |
|---|---|---|
| Child death under 18 | Leave and pay | Leave and pay |
| Stillbirth after 24 weeks | Leave and pay | Leave and pay |
| Miscarriage before 24 weeks | No statutory leave or pay. Unpaid leave announced for April 2027 | Up to 2 weeks of leave and pay since 6 April 2026 |
| Service needed for pay | 26 weeks | None, from day one |
| Weekly pay | £194.32 or 90% if lower | £194.32 or 90% if lower |
| Earnings test | £129 a week | £129 a week |
| Evidence | Declaration only | Declaration only |
Can employers reclaim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay?
Yes. Employers usually reclaim 92% of Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay from HMRC, or 109% with Small Employers' Relief, the same as SMP.
Small Employers' Relief applies if you paid £45,000 or less in Class 1 National Insurance in the last complete tax year before the week before the death or stillbirth (in Northern Ireland, the week before the miscarriage). Reclaim through the Employer Payment Summary, and apply for an advance if you cannot afford the payment. The SMP Recovery Calculator shows the same sums for maternity pay.
If an employee does not qualify, send form SPBP1 or your own version within 28 days of their pay request. They can ask the HMRC Statutory Payments Disputes Team to look at it within 6 months. Keep records, which you can do on form SPBP2, for 3 years from the end of the tax year. The wider rules for paying staff are in Maternity pay for employers.
Parental bereavement pay questions
Is Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay taxed?
Yes. It is paid like your wages, weekly or monthly, with Income Tax and National Insurance deducted.
Can both parents take parental bereavement leave?
Yes. You and your partner can each take up to 2 weeks if you each meet the tests. Each of you takes the leave and claims the pay through your own employer.
Can I get bereavement pay if I have just started my job?
In Great Britain you get the leave from day one, but the pay needs 26 weeks' continuous employment. In Northern Ireland the pay has been a day-one right since 6 April 2026.
Is miscarriage leave paid in the UK?
Only in Northern Ireland, where it has been paid at £194.32 a week or 90% of earnings since 6 April 2026. In Great Britain, unpaid leave of up to 2 weeks is announced for April 2027 but is not yet law.
Do I lose maternity pay if my baby is stillborn?
No. If your baby is stillborn after the start of the 24th week of pregnancy, you keep your maternity leave and SMP if you qualify, and you may take 2 weeks of bereavement leave after your maternity leave ends.
Sources
Every rule on this page comes from these official pages. Checked 15 October 2026.
- Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave (GOV.UK): who qualifies, the rate, 2 weeks within 56 weeks, notice and the declaration.
- Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave: employer guide (GOV.UK): the reclaim, form SPBP1, records and the Northern Ireland rules from 6 April 2026.
- Manually calculate an employee's Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (HMRC): the relevant week, average weekly earnings and the rate from 6 April 2026.
- Maternity pay and leave: eligibility (GOV.UK): leave and SMP after a stillbirth.
- Maternity Allowance: eligibility (GOV.UK): Maternity Allowance after a stillbirth.
- Paternity pay and leave (GOV.UK): the paternity rate, and leave and pay if you lose your baby.
- Stillbirth or miscarriage (Acas): no statutory leave after a miscarriage in the first 24 weeks, and pregnancy-related sickness.
- Statutory Sick Pay (GOV.UK): the weekly rate and the 28-week limit.
- New rights for family bereavement and pregnancy loss (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade press release, 22 September 2026): unpaid pregnancy loss leave from April 2027.
- Parental bereavement leave and pay: bereavements on or after 6 April 2026 (nidirect): miscarriage leave and pay and day-one pay in Northern Ireland.
- Northern Ireland becomes the first region to provide paid leave to parents affected by miscarriage (Department for the Economy, 24 March 2026).
- Minister publishes consultation response on miscarriage leave rights (Department for the Economy, 20 January 2026): the statutory rate and the declaration.
- SR 2026/74 (legislation.gov.uk): the Northern Ireland regulations, in operation from 6 April 2026.
- Get financial help with statutory pay (GOV.UK): the 92% and 109%reclaim and Small Employers' Relief.
- Support: Sands, Tommy's, Miscarriage UK and Bereaved NI.