Statutory Paternity Pay Calculator United Kingdom

What Statutory Paternity Pay is worth in practice

Statutory Paternity Pay is what an employer must pay a father or second parent on paternity leave. For anyone on a normal full-time wage it is a flat weekly amount, well below a week’s pay, for at most two weeks. This calculator shows your weekly rate, the total for the leave you plan to take and how far short of your normal pay that leaves you.

Enter your average weekly earnings before tax and choose one or two weeks. If your employer has an enhanced scheme, enter the percentage of normal pay it promises in the advanced options to see the statutory element and the top-up separately.

How the weekly rate is worked out

You receive the lower of two figures: 90% of your average weekly earnings over the eight weeks up to the qualifying week, or a flat weekly amount set by government and raised each April, £194.32 for 2026/27. For anyone earning more than about £216 a week the flat rate is lower, so that is what is paid. Only low earners receive the earnings-related figure.

That is why the result barely moves as your salary rises. Someone on £30,000 and someone on £90,000 receive the same Statutory Paternity Pay; only the gap between it and their normal pay changes, which the calculator reports as the shortfall and the replacement rate.

A worked example

With average weekly earnings of £700 and two weeks of leave, Statutory Paternity Pay is £194.32 a week, £388.64 in total, against £1,400 of normal pay. That replaces about 28% of your pay for the fortnight. The weekly amount is below the weekly National Insurance threshold, so no NI is deducted on the statutory payment.

The earnings test

Your average weekly earnings must reach the lower earnings limit, the same threshold used across the statutory parental payments. Below it no statutory pay is due, and the calculator says so rather than returning a small number.

Other conditions are outside what the calculator can check. You need continuous employment with the same employer for a set period before the qualifying week, you must still work for them when the child is born or placed, and you must give the correct notice. You must also be the biological father, the mother’s or adopter’s spouse, civil partner or partner, or the child’s adopter or intended parent in a surrogacy arrangement, and be taking the leave to care for the child or support the mother.

Tax, National Insurance and the amount that reaches your account

Paternity pay goes through payroll like a wage. Income Tax is deducted at your usual marginal rate, because your personal allowance is normally already used by the rest of the year’s salary; that is what the tax band option in the advanced settings assumes.

National Insurance is charged pay period by pay period. The statutory weekly rate is below the weekly primary threshold, so a week paid at the statutory minimum usually carries no National Insurance. Once an employer tops the payment up towards full pay, National Insurance applies again, and the calculator uses the weekly thresholds so the result matches payroll. The net figure at the bottom is what reaches your bank account for the leave.

Employer schemes

Statutory pay is a minimum. Many employers pay full salary for the two weeks, some pay a fixed enhanced amount, and some offer more weeks through a contractual or shared parental scheme. Check your contract or staff handbook and enter what you find in the contractual pay field.

Without an enhancement, two weeks at the statutory rate typically replaces under a third of normal pay for a mid-range earner, so the leave has a real cost. Some families cover part of the period with annual leave, which is paid in full; others use shared parental leave, which lets a much longer period of leave be transferred from the mother but pays broadly the same weekly rate. Which works better depends on what your employer offers and what the household can afford.

How paternity pay compares with the other statutory payments

Statutory Maternity Pay runs for up to 39 weeks, starting with six weeks at 90% of earnings before dropping to the same flat rate paternity pay uses. Maternity Allowance covers people who cannot get maternity pay from an employer, including the self-employed, at broadly the same weekly amount. Shared Parental Pay lets a couple divide a long block of leave between them at the same flat weekly rate. Statutory Sick Pay is a separate, lower weekly figure with its own rules.

Paternity pay pays the same weekly amount as the maternity flat rate, but for only two weeks, and the entitlement cannot be extended. Households planning a longer period of shared care usually look at shared parental leave instead.

Using the figures sensibly

Run the calculation at the statutory rate to see the worst case, then with your employer scheme to see the likely case. The difference shows how much is worth checking in your contract.

The eight-week averaging period matters. If your earnings in that window were unusually low because of unpaid leave, sick leave or a change of hours, your average may be below your normal pay and the earnings-related figure may apply. A bonus in the window may push the average up. Enter the average for that period rather than your salary divided by 52 if the two differ.

These figures are an estimate based on published government rates and the details you enter. They do not check your employment history, notice or eligibility, and they are not legal or financial advice. Confirm your entitlement with your employer or the official government guidance before relying on them.

About This Tool: Statutory Paternity Pay

Statutory paternity pay: use this tool to get an instant, accurate estimate. The figures follow official GOV.UK guidance and every rate and threshold is kept up to date for 2026. Adjust the inputs above to match your situation, or browse all our calculators to plan your next step.