Shared Parental Leave Calculator
Plan your UK Shared Parental Leave for 2025/26. See how many weeks you can share, calculate Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) at £187.18/week or 90% of earnings, compare household income across leave splits, and choose the best leave pattern for your family.
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How to Use This Calculator
ShPL Planner tab
Enter how many weeks the mother will use for maternity leave, along with both parents' annual salaries. The calculator shows how many weeks of leave and paid weeks remain for sharing, calculates each parent's individual ShPP rate (£187.18/week or 90% of their average weekly earnings, whichever is lower), and shows the total value of the shared pay pot at each parent's rate.
Income Comparison tab
Enter both salaries and how many weeks each parent plans to take off. The calculator shows combined household income during leave versus your normal dual income, the total income reduction in pounds and as a percentage, and a breakdown of SMP for the mother and ShPP for the partner. Use this to understand the real cost of your leave plan.
Leave Patterns tab
Enter both salaries and the total number of weeks to be shared. The calculator compares three patterns: consecutive blocks (one parent takes leave then the other), simultaneous leave (both off at the same time), and alternating 4-week blocks. It shows the combined ShPP income for each pattern and highlights the income gap when both parents are off simultaneously.
Share your result
Every input is encoded in the URL. Click Share to send your exact scenario to your partner, HR team, or save it for later planning.
The Formula
Shared Parental Pay is calculated based on each parent's average weekly earnings (AWE):
ShPP weekly rate = lower of (90% × AWE) or £187.18
Shareable leave = 52 − 2 compulsory maternity weeks = 50 weeks
Shareable pay = 39 − 2 compulsory maternity weeks = 37 weeks of ShPP
Mother's SMP (weeks 1–6) = 90% × AWE (no cap)
Mother's SMP (weeks 7–39) = lower of (90% × AWE) or £187.18
Partner's ShPP = ShPP rate × weeks claimed from shared pot
Both parents' combined ShPP draws from the same 37-week pot.
Each parent is paid at their own individual rate.
To qualify for ShPP both parents must earn at least £125/week on average. For Shared Parental Leave (unpaid), both must be employees continuously employed for at least 26 weeks by the 15th week before the due date. Source: GOV.UK — eligibility for birth parents.
Example
Tom and Sophie — expecting their first child
Sophie is a nurse earning £35,000/year. Tom is a software engineer earning £45,000/year. They want to share leave as equally as possible and understand what they'll receive.
ShPL Planner tab
Sophie's AWE is £673/week; 90% is £606 — above the £187.18 cap, so the flat rate applies to both. The 27 paid weeks are worth £5,054 to either parent at £187.18/week.
Income Comparison tab
Tom and Sophie will see a significant income reduction during their leave period. Their combined statutory pay of around £8,146 replaces only about a third of their normal household income. Planning savings in advance — or checking whether either employer offers enhanced parental pay — is strongly recommended.
Leave Patterns tab
For Tom and Sophie, alternating 4-week blocks means one of them is always working, keeping at least one full salary coming in at all times. This is often the most financially sustainable pattern for couples without significant savings.