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Paid time off with a new baby

Having a new baby as a single parent often comes with mixed emotions. It can feel daunting as well as exciting, with so many things to think about – like how to handle work and manage childcare and finances. Whether you’ve planned to have a baby on your own or are dealing with a recent separation or bereavement, here’s some essential information on the rights and financial support available for working single parents.  

Know your rights at work

Financial support during time off 

Support for mothers

Support for fathers

Support for adopting parents

Other types of financial support

If your pregnancy doesn’t go as planned

Useful links

Note: This page gives general and high-level guidance for new or expecting parents. The rules around time off and financial support are complicated. And they’re likely to be different if you have a mortgage, are under 25, are caring for someone who is disabled or ill, or aren’t a UK citizen.

For tailored advice based on how much time off you need and your personal situation, talk to us.

Know your rights at work

New parents and pregnant women are protected from being treated unfairly at work. Whether you work full or part time, you’ll still have a right to things like paid time off for a new baby (maternity or paternity leave and pay). This page looks at what financial support you can get with a new baby – for information about time off see our page on your right to time off work.

It’s important to know your rights as an expecting and new parent. This will help you have useful conversations with your employer about taking time off for your new baby. 

As a pregnant employee, you should have:

  • Paid time off for prebirth appointments 
  • Paid time off to have and look after the new baby 
  • A risk assessment to check that your job is safe for you and your baby
  • Protection against being treated unfairly

You have to tell your employer that you’re pregnant at least 15 weeks before the baby is due.

Your rights at work during pregnancy and time off for a new baby (video by Maternity Action)

Financial support during time off

It’s not always easy to work out your finances when you’re having a baby or adopting a child. Knowing what support is out there might help you budget and plan.

These are the main types of financial support you can get from your employer:

  • Statutory Maternity or Paternity Pay – the legal minimum your employer has to pay you while you’re off on maternity or paternity leave
  • Statutory Adoption Pay – the legal minimum your employer has to pay you while you’re off on adoption leave
  • Statutory Shared Parental Pay – a way to share pay between parents by turning maternity or adoption pay into shared pay

These are all paid in the same way as your salary. On top of this support (the minimum required by law), you might also be able to get extra money from your employer. This is called contractual maternity, paternity or adoption pay – it’s based on what’s in the contract you signed with your employer. There might be conditions attached, so check your contract carefully. For example, you could be asked to pay back this money if you don’t go back to work after your time off.

If you’re not eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay from your employer, you might be able to get Maternity Allowance from the government.

Let’s look in more detail at each of the main types of legally required support.

Tip: When working out what benefits you can get, weeks begin on a Sunday. So use the Sunday before or on your baby’s due date to figure out what week your baby is due. 

Support for mothers

Statutory Maternity Pay

You qualify for this if you:

  • Started working for your current employer before you became pregnant (you were working for your employer for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before the week your baby is due)
  • Earn at least £123 a week on average

How much will I get?

This is paid for up to 39 weeks at 2 different rates:

  • For the first 6 weeks, you’ll get 90% of your average weekly earnings
  • For the other 33 weeks you’ll either get £184.03 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower

If you decide not to go back to work, you won’t have to repay this money. 

When does it start?

This can start from:

  • When you go on maternity leave – you can do this any time from your 29th week of pregnancy
  • The day after your first full day of absence if you go off sick with a pregnancy-related illness in the 4 weeks before your baby is due 
  • The day your baby is born if this is before you go on maternity leave

You’ll need to tell your employer exactly when you want your Statutory Maternity Pay to start – at least 28 days before you want this to start. You also have to give them proof that you’re pregnant 15 weeks or more before your baby is due.

When your Statutory Maternity Pay ends, you might be able to claim Universal Credit if you don’t go back to work or are on a low income. And if you can’t go back to work because of your health, you might be able to claim new-style Employment and Support Allowance.

Maternity Allowance

If you can’t get Statutory Maternity Pay, you might be eligible for Maternity Allowance from the government. You can claim this if you’re self-employed or have just started, changed or ended a job.

You can get this if, during the 66 weeks (one year and 14 weeks) before your baby is due, you:

  • Have been employed for any 26 weeks (they don’t have to be in a row) 
  • Have average weekly earnings of £30 or more in at least 13 weeks. These weeks don’t have to be in a row, and you can add together earnings from more than one job 

If you’re self-employed, the rules are slightly different. Use the government’s calculator to see if you qualify.  

How much will I get?

For up to 39 weeks, you can get £184.03 a week, or 90% of your average earnings, whichever is lower.

When does it start?

When you’re 26 weeks pregnant, you can make a claim for Maternity Allowance.  If you can’t fill in the form online, you can ask for one to be posted to you. It can take up to 20 working days for the decision to come through. If you qualify, you’ll be paid every 2 or 4 weeks from 11 weeks before your baby is due.

If you don’t qualify, you’ll automatically be considered for new-style Employment and Support Allowance without having to make a separate claim.

Bear in mind that getting Maternity Allowance might affect other benefits you’re getting.

Shared Parental Pay

Parents can share up to 37 weeks of pay between them. The rules for this are complicated, so either talk to us or read more on gov.uk.

Support for fathers

Statutory Paternity Pay

For 2 weeks you’ll be paid £184.03 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. 

If you decide not to go back to work, you don’t have to repay this.

When does it start?

You can be paid on or after your child’s birth. Your time off has to finish within 8 weeks of either: 

  • The birth
  • The expected date of birth if your baby comes early
  • The adoption placement

You have to ask your employer for Statutory Paternity Pay at least 15 weeks before the baby is due. You can claim by filling in the online form on gov.uk, or by using your employer’s form if they have one. If you’re adopting a child, you need to ask your employer at least 28 days before you want it to start and fill in form SC4 on gov.uk or your employer’s form. 

If you’re looking after your child by yourself because your partner has died, you might be able to have extra parental leave and pay.

Shared Parental Pay

Parents can share up to 37 weeks of pay between them. The rules for this are complicated, so either talk to us or read more on gov.uk.

Support for adopting parents

Statutory Adoption Pay

This is for adopting parents who:

  • Were working for their employer for at least 26 weeks before the week they were matched with a child 
  • Earn at least £123 a week on average

How much will I get?

This is paid for up to 39 weeks at 2 different rates:

  • For the first 6 weeks, you’ll get 90% of your average weekly earnings
  • For the other 33 weeks you’ll either get £84.03 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower

If you decide not to go back to work, you won’t have to repay this money. 

When your Statutory Adoption Pay ends, you might be able to claim Universal Credit if you don’t go back to work or are on a low income. And if you can’t go back to work because of your health, you might be able to claim new-style Employment and Support Allowance.

When does it start?

It can start any time from 14 days before your child is due to be placed with you, or from the time they arrive if this is earlier. If possible, you need to tell your employer 28 days before you want your pay to start.

If you don’t qualify for Statutory Adoption Pay, you might be able to claim Universal Credit. You may also be able to get help from your local authority or the adoption agency. First4Adoption has more about financial support for adopting parents.

Shared Parental Pay

Parents can share up to 37 weeks of pay between them. The rules for this are complicated, so either talk to us or read more on gov.uk.

Other types of financial support

Child Benefit

If you qualify for Child Benefit, you’ll get £25.60 a week for your first child and £16.95 a week for each of your other children. To claim, fill in form CH2 and send it to the address on the form. If you need help, you can ring the Child Benefit Helpline on 0300 200 3100.

Universal Credit

You may be able to top up your income through Universal Credit while you’re having time off with your child. The amount you’ll be able to claim will depend on things like your income, including your maternity pay. Child Benefit and child maintenance payments don’t count as income.

Sure Start Maternity Grant

If this is your first child, you can get a £500 Sure Start Maternity Grant through Universal Credit. 

You can claim for this from 11 weeks before your baby is due until 6 months after they’re born. If you’re adopting, you have to make a claim within 6 months of the adoption. And your child has to be less than a year old when you claim.

You can make a claim online or get a form from your midwife, doctor or health visitor. You’ll have to get a health professional to sign it to confirm that you’ve had advice about your own and your baby’s health.

New-style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

If you can’t work because you’re ill or disabled, you may be able to claim new-style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). You might be able to claim it for a short time if you were turned down for Maternity Allowance. You can claim it from 6 weeks before your baby is due until 2 weeks after they’re born.

To qualify for this support, you must have made enough National Insurance contributions over the past 2-3 years. And you can only claim this if you’re not getting Statutory Sick Pay from your employer.

Help with childcare

Whether you can get affordable and suitable childcare will be a big factor in your decision about going back to work. You might be able to get help with the costs of childcare through Universal Credit or Working Tax Credit. 

Our page on childcare goes into more detail. There’s also some very useful information about childcare on gov.uk – including a calculator to see what help you could get.

If your pregnancy doesn’t go as planned

If your child is stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy, you’re still entitled to maternity leave and Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance. 

If your baby dies before this time, it’s considered a miscarriage. Unfortunately, you’re not entitled to any maternity leave or pay in this case, but you may be able to take sick leave.

If your baby is born alive but doesn’t survive, you’ll be able to take full maternity leave and Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance. It doesn’t matter how long your baby lived or when your baby was born.

If your baby is stillborn or dies, you can also get Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave. This is 2 weeks of paid leave that you have to take within 56 weeks of the bereavement. If you’re also taking maternity leave, you can take this after that. You’ll also get £184.03 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.

The baby loss charity Sands has a guide on returning to work after a bereavement, including how much time off you can take and deciding when to go back. Working Families also has more about your rights in situations like these.

Date last updated: 15 July 2024

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