Use the shared parental pay calculator to work out your Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) for 2026/27. Enter your weekly earnings and the number of weeks you plan to take, and the calculator shows your weekly ShPP rate and total pay — so you can budget before you apply.
Statutory Shared Parental Pay
When a mother or primary adopter ends maternity or adoption leave early, the remaining paid weeks can be shared with a partner as Shared Parental Leave (ShPL). Statutory Shared Parental Pay is paid for those weeks at:
Unlike Statutory Maternity Pay, there is no enhanced first 6 weeks. ShPP is the same flat rate for every week claimed. Parents can share up to 37 weeks of pay and 50 weeks of leave between them.
To receive ShPP you must meet all of these conditions (gov.uk, 2026/27):
Based on 20 weeks of ShPP (2026/27):
| Annual salary | Weekly ShPP | Total (20 wks) |
|---|---|---|
| £15,000 | £194.32 | £3,886 |
| £25,000 | £194.32 | £3,886 |
| £35,000 | £194.32 | £3,886 |
| £8,000 | £153.85 | £3,077 |
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) gives the mother 90% of average earnings for the first 6 weeks, then £194.32 for up to 33 weeks. Shared Parental Pay is the flat £194.32 from week one. If the mother plans to convert early, she keeps the 90%-rate weeks first and only the remaining lower-rate weeks convert to ShPP. Use the maternity pay calculator to model the full SMP entitlement before deciding how many weeks to share.
The maternity pay calculator shows SMP week by week. The paternity pay calculator covers the separate two-week SPP entitlement. For your overall household budget during leave, the salary calculator shows normal take-home pay.
ShPP is paid at £194.32 per week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. This rate applies from 6 April 2026. Unlike SMP, there is no initial 6-week period at 90% — ShPP is flat-rate throughout.
Parents can share up to 37 weeks of pay and up to 50 weeks of leave. The mother must take at least 2 weeks of compulsory maternity leave (4 weeks for factory workers) before any remaining weeks can be shared.
You qualify if you are an employee, you or your partner are ending maternity or adoption leave early, you have at least 26 weeks continuous service by the 15th week before the due date, and you earn at least £129 a week (the 2026/27 Lower Earnings Limit).
Yes. Both parents can be on Shared Parental Leave at the same time, and both can receive ShPP simultaneously — but the combined total cannot exceed the remaining weeks from the original maternity or adoption entitlement.
Yes. Statutory Shared Parental Pay is treated as earnings for Income Tax and National Insurance. Your employer deducts PAYE tax and NI through payroll, just like your normal salary.
SMP pays 90% of average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks, then £194.32 (or 90% if lower) for up to 33 weeks. ShPP pays the flat £194.32 rate (or 90% if lower) for every week — there is no enhanced first block. Some employers offer contractual top-ups for both.
