Paternity pay calculator
Statutory Paternity Pay is short and capped. This shows the weekly rate you would actually get and the total across your leave, before tax.
Your average earnings look below the £129 a week qualifying limit, so you may keep the leave but not the statutory pay.
How paternity pay is worked out
Statutory Paternity Pay is a flat, capped amount. Each week pays whichever is lower of £194.32 or 90% of your average weekly earnings, and you can take up to 2 weeks. For most employees on a normal salary the flat rate is the binding figure, so the two-week total lands at £388.64 before tax. Only lower earners fall on the 90% side of the test, where the weekly figure drops below the flat rate.
Since April 2024 the two weeks are more flexible. They can be split into two single weeks and taken any time in the year after the birth, rather than being locked to the first eight weeks. The pay is the same however you arrange the weeks, so the flexibility is about fitting leave around childcare, not about the amount.
Worked example
On a £30,000 salary your average weekly earnings are about £577, and 90% of that is roughly £519. Because that is above the flat rate, the weekly figure is capped at £194. Two weeks of leave therefore pay £389 before tax. Anything your employer adds through an enhanced paternity scheme sits on top of this and depends on your contract.
Common questions
How much is statutory paternity pay in 2026/27?
Statutory Paternity Pay is the lower of £194.32 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings. You can take up to 2 weeks, so the most you get is £388.64 before tax, unless 90% of your pay is lower still. Employers can pay more under their own scheme, which is separate from this.
How many weeks of paternity leave can I take?
You can take up to 2 weeks of statutory paternity leave. Since April 2024 the two weeks can be taken as a single block or as two separate one-week blocks, and at any point within 52 weeks of the birth or placement rather than only in the first 8 weeks.
Do I qualify for paternity pay?
You need to have been employed by the same employer for at least 26 weeks by the qualifying week, still be employed when the child arrives, and earn on average at least £129 a week for 2026/27. If you earn less than that you keep the leave but may not get the statutory pay.
Is paternity pay taxed?
Yes. Statutory Paternity Pay is treated as earnings, so income tax and National Insurance are taken off through payroll in the normal way. The figures shown here are gross, before those deductions.
Can both parents get statutory pay?
One parent can take Statutory Paternity Pay while the other takes maternity or adoption pay. If you want to share the mother’s leave and pay more flexibly, Shared Parental Leave is the route, and it works differently from the fixed 2-week paternity block.