UK Statutory Paternity Pay.
Total Statutory Paternity Pay (2 weeks)
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Two weeks, paid at the lower of two figures
Statutory Paternity Pay covers up to 2 weeks of leave for a new parent who is not taking the maternity or main adoption leave. The weekly amount is the lower of two numbers: 90% of your average weekly earnings, or the flat statutory rate, set here at £184.03 a week. For almost everyone in steady employment the flat rate is the lower of the two, so most fathers and partners receive £184.03 a week for two weeks. This tool takes your average weekly earnings and returns the total, while flagging where the 90% figure would win instead.
The default calculation on £800 a week
With average weekly earnings of £800, the 90% figure is £720, which is far above the £184.03 cap. So you receive the cap. Two weeks at £184.03 gives a total of £368.06. The arithmetic is short.
| Step | Figure |
|---|---|
| 90% of £800 | £720.00 |
| Flat statutory rate | £184.03 |
| Weekly paid (the lower) | £184.03 |
| Total over 2 weeks | £368.06 |
The chart makes the gap obvious: the £184.03 you actually receive sits well below 90% of your normal weekly pay, which is why so many partners rely on an enhanced employer scheme or take annual leave alongside.
When 90% becomes the lower figure
The cap only bites for people earning above a certain level. Ninety percent of average weekly earnings equals £184.03 at average weekly earnings of roughly £204.50. Below that, the 90% calculation produces less than the flat rate, so a lower-paid or part-time worker receives 90% of their actual earnings for the two weeks rather than the flat amount. Drop the average weekly earnings field below about £205 and you will see the weekly figure fall under £184.03. There is also a floor: you must earn at least £125 a week on average to qualify at all, and you need 26 weeks of continuous service by the qualifying week.
The flexibility change worth using
For babies due on or after 6 April 2024 the rules became markedly more flexible. You can now take the two weeks as two separate single weeks rather than one two-week block, and you can take the leave at any point in the first 52 weeks after birth instead of within the first 56 days. You also only need to give 28 days' notice for each period. That matters in practice: a partner can take one week at the birth and save the second for when the mother's leave ends, smoothing childcare cover. A practical tip is to pair a single statutory week with a week of annual leave, so you are home for two weeks but only one is paid at the low statutory rate. Another option worth modelling is Shared Parental Leave, which lets the mother end her maternity leave early and transfer the balance, up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay, to be split between both parents in blocks. If the partner has the stronger enhanced scheme at work, shifting leave their way can lift the household's total pay well above what two statutory weeks deliver. Always check your contract, because enhanced paternity pay at full salary is increasingly common and overrides this floor.
Common questions
Is statutory paternity pay taxed?
Yes. It counts as earnings, so Income Tax and National Insurance apply through PAYE in the normal way. At £184.03 a week the amounts are small, so in practice little or no tax is usually deducted, but it is not a tax-free payment and it appears on your payslip like any other pay.
Can both parents claim at the same time?
One parent takes maternity or adoption leave and pay, and the other can take the two weeks of paternity. They are different entitlements, so a couple can receive both at once for those two weeks. If you want to share the longer leave between you, that is Shared Parental Leave, a separate scheme that lets you split most of the mother's 39 weeks of pay.