Shared Parental Leave Calculator UK 2025/26

Shared Parental Leave (ShPL) lets eligible parents share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) after a birth or adoption. This calculator helps you plan your split, compare household income, and see which leave pattern works best for your family.

Key facts for 2025/26

ShPP rate: £187.18/week or 90% of average weekly earnings — whichever is lower
Shareable leave: Up to 50 weeks (from the 52-week maternity entitlement)
Shareable pay: Up to 37 weeks of ShPP (from 39 weeks of SMP)
Compulsory maternity leave: The mother must take a minimum of 2 weeks post-birth (4 weeks if working in a factory)
Minimum earnings for ShPP: £125/week average for both parents
Source: GOV.UK — Shared Parental Leave and Pay and GOV.UK rates and thresholds 2025 to 2026

How ShPP is calculated

Each parent’s individual ShPP rate is:

ShPP rate = lower of (90% × Average Weekly Earnings) or £187.18
Average Weekly Earnings = Annual Salary ÷ 52

Both parents draw from the same 37-week paid pot, but each receives pay at their own rate. A higher earner does not get more ShPP than the flat rate cap.

Eligibility checklist

Both parents must:

Be employees (not workers or self-employed)
Have been continuously employed for at least 26 weeks by the 15th week before the due date
Remain with the same employer until at least the week before starting ShPL
Earn at least £125/week on average for ShPP

The non-birthing partner additionally must:

Have worked at least 26 weeks out of the 66 weeks before the due date
Have earned at least £390 in total across any 13 of those 66 weeks

Leave patterns explained

Consecutive: One parent takes leave, then the other. Maximises the total time covered while keeping one salary coming in at nearly all times.

Simultaneous: Both parents off at the same time. Great for bonding, but uses the paid pot faster and creates a larger household income gap.

Alternating blocks: Each parent takes turns in blocks (for example, 4 weeks each). One parent is always working and earning, making this the most cash-flow friendly pattern for many families. Parents can submit up to 3 separate leave blocks each; each block must be at least 1 week with 8 weeks’ notice to the employer.

Example: Tom and Sophie

Sophie (nurse, £35,000/year) plans to take 12 weeks of maternity leave. Tom (software engineer, £45,000/year) wants to take some of the remaining shared leave.

Both AWEs are above the cap, so both receive £187.18/week ShPP
40 weeks of leave and 27 weeks of paid ShPP remain after Sophie’s 12 weeks
Combined ShPP from the pot: £5,054 (27 × £187.18)
Normal household take-home over 26 weeks: ~£23,100
Household income reduction: roughly 65% during peak leave period

Calculate your own scenario