New Parent Support Pay
New parent support pay
Employees may be entitled to paid new parent support leave if they meet the eligibility criteria for Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) or Occupational Paternity Pay (OPP).
Only one period of new parent support pay is available when there are multiple births, such as twins.
Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP)
Employees may be entitled to SPP during their new parent support leave.
To qualify for SPP, an employee must have:
- Completed at least 26 weeks of continuous employment with their current NHS employer at the end of the 15th week before the EWC or the end of the week the adoption agency notifies them of a match. In the case of overseas adoptions, it is the date the child arrives in the UK or when the employee wants their pay to start.
- Average earnings above the lower earnings limit for National Insurance contributions during the 8 weeks before the end of the qualifying week.
- Followed the application procedures set out in this policy.
SPP is the lesser of the statutory weekly rate of SPP or 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings. View UK Government statutory paternity pay and leave guidance .
Occupational Paternity Pay (OPP)
Employees granted new parent support leave will receive full pay during this period if they have at least 12 months of continuous service with an NHS employer.
Full pay will be calculated based on the average weekly earnings rules for calculating Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) or Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP) entitlements. These are subject to the qualifications set out within sections 15.22 and 15.39 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook .
The eligible employee will receive full pay, which will include any SPP receivable.
To calculate continuous service eligibility criteria, the employer should consult the relevant NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook .
Financial support
Employees who do not meet SPP or OPP criteria should ask their local Jobcentre Plus office about financial support.