START MISSION

Paternity leave UK 2026: your dates, for the dad, not payroll

Since 6 April 2026, Paternity Leave in the UK is a day-one right: you can take up to 2 weeks from your first day in a job. [GOV.UK · GOV.UK] Statutory Paternity Pay is separate. It still needs 26 weeks with your employer by the 15th week before the due week, and pays £194.32 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. [GOV.UK · GOV.UK] The first deadline comes early: tell your employer the due date at least 15 weeks before the baby is due, around week 25 of the pregnancy. [GOV.UK]

The short version
  • Leave: up to 2 weeks, a day-one right since 6 April 2026. [GOV.UK · GOV.UK (DBT)]
  • Pay: £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower (2026/27). Needs 26 weeks of continuous employment by the qualifying week and average earnings of at least £129 a week. [GOV.UK · GOV.UK]
  • Notice 1: tell your employer the due date at least 15 weeks before the baby is expected, and claim Paternity Pay at the same time. [GOV.UK · GOV.UK]
  • Notice 2: at least 28 days before your leave starts, tell your employer the start date and whether you want 1 or 2 weeks. [GOV.UK]
  • Taking it: both weeks together or two separate 1-week blocks, starting no earlier than the birth and ending within 52 weeks of it. [GOV.UK]
  • After the birth: register within 42 days in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, or 21 days in Scotland. Claim Child Benefit from 48 hours after registering. It can only be backdated 3 months. [GOV.UK · National Records of Scotland · GOV.UK]

▸Your dates: paternity leave calculator

No login. Nothing is saved or sent.

Enter the due date. Add the birth date once the baby is here, and your leave start date if you know it, to firm up the dates after the birth.

The 15-week notice date shown is the earliest possible version of that deadline, so you are never late whichever day your due week starts. Dates after the birth assume the baby arrives on the due date until you enter a birth date.

▸What changed on 6 April 2026

Paternity Leave became a day-one right: employees are eligible from their first day of employment, with no minimum length of service. [GOV.UK · GOV.UK]

Bereaved Partners' Paternity Leave also started on 6 April 2026: up to 52 weeks of leave if the mother or primary adopter dies in the child's first year. [GOV.UK (DBT)]

What did not change: Statutory Paternity Pay still has the 26-week service test, so a recent job change can mean you get the leave but not the statutory pay. [GOV.UK]

▸Paternity Pay: who gets it and how much

Statutory Paternity Pay is £194.32 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. That is the 2026/27 rate, up from £187.18. It is paid like your wages, with tax and National Insurance deducted. [GOV.UK · GOV.UK (DWP)]

To qualify you must be employed by your employer up to the date of birth, earn an average of at least £129 a week before tax, give the correct notice, and have been continuously employed by them for at least 26 weeks up to any day in the qualifying week. The qualifying week is the 15th week before the baby is due. [GOV.UK]

▸The two notices

  1. The due date notice. Tell your employer the baby's due date at least 15 weeks before the baby is expected. You can use the GOV.UK online form (previously form SC3), or your employer's own form if they have one. Claim Paternity Pay at the same time. [GOV.UK · GOV.UK]
  2. The leave dates notice. At least 28 days before you want your leave to start, tell your employer when it starts and whether you want 1 or 2 weeks. You can give a general time, such as the day of the birth, instead of an exact date. [GOV.UK · GOV.UK]

For babies due on or after 26 July 2026, the usual notice periods apply in full. [GOV.UK]

▸Want more than 2 weeks? Shared Parental Leave

Shared Parental Leave lets you share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay between you, used in the first year. Each block needs at least 8 weeks' written notice, and Shared Parental Pay is £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. [GOV.UK]

▸Northern Ireland

There are different rules if you live in Northern Ireland, so the leave rules on this page may not apply to you. [GOV.UK] Check nidirect, the Northern Ireland government site, before you rely on these dates. Births in Northern Ireland must be registered within 42 days. [nidirect]

Send to him

Send him his paternity leave deadline

You know the due date. He is the one who has to file. This sends him the calculator and the two notices.

▸Common questions

Is paternity leave a day-one right in 2026?

Yes. Since 6 April 2026, employees are eligible for Paternity Leave from their first day of employment. Statutory Paternity Pay still needs 26 weeks of continuous employment by the 15th week before the baby is due.

How much is Statutory Paternity Pay in 2026?

For 2026/27 it is £194.32 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. You need average earnings of at least £129 a week before tax to qualify. Tax and National Insurance are deducted.

When do I need to tell my employer about paternity leave?

Tell them the due date at least 15 weeks before the baby is expected, and claim Paternity Pay at the same time. Then tell them your leave start date at least 28 days before it begins. You can give a general time, such as the day of the birth.

Can I split my 2 weeks of paternity leave?

Yes. You can take both weeks together or as two separate 1-week blocks. The leave cannot start before the birth and must end within 52 weeks of it, or of the due date if the baby is early.

General information, not legal advice

This explains the official rules in plain words for dads in England, Scotland and Wales. It is not legal or financial advice. Check your own situation with your employer or HR, and with the official pages linked below.

Enter your due date in DAD-OS for the full timeline.

Every week of the pregnancy, your missions, and the paperwork deadlines in one place. Free.

START MISSION, FREE

▸Sources

Every rule and number on this page was checked against these official pages.

In the US? FMLA paternity leave for dads → · Pages for partners →