Paternity leave has changed significantly in the UK in 2026, with one of the biggest reforms taking effect on 6 April. Employees can now qualify for statutory Paternity Leave from their first day with an employer, removing the previous 26-week service requirement for the leave itself. However, the rules for Statutory Paternity Pay are different, so becoming eligible for leave does not automatically mean that an employee qualifies for paid time off.
The statutory entitlement remains up to two weeks, although employees can take the time together or split it into two separate one-week periods. There have also been changes to how paternity leave can interact with Shared Parental Leave.
With petitions calling for four, six or even 12 weeks of leave, there is growing pressure for further reform. Here is what the current rules mean for fathers and partners in 2026, including eligibility, pay, notice periods, forms and the latest proposals.
What are the paternity leave UK changes in 2026?
The most important change came into force on 6 April 2026. From that date, eligible employees became entitled to Paternity Leave from their first day of employment. Previously, an employee generally needed 26 weeks of continuous employment to qualify for the leave.
This is an important distinction because the 26-week employment requirement has not disappeared from every part of the system. It still applies when an employee is assessing whether they qualify for Statutory Paternity Pay. In other words, someone can have the right to take Paternity Leave but not necessarily have the right to statutory pay for that period.
The reform also changed the order in which some family leave can be used. Fathers and partners can now take Paternity Leave and Pay after Shared Parental Leave and Pay, giving eligible families greater flexibility when deciding how to divide time away from work.
These changes make the 2026 rules more flexible, but they do not increase the basic statutory entitlement beyond two weeks.
What is the new paternity leave UK law?
The new law makes Paternity Leave a day-one employment right. This means an employee does not have to complete 26 weeks with their employer before becoming eligible for the leave itself, provided they meet the other statutory conditions and give the required notice.
The reform is particularly important for people who change jobs shortly before becoming parents. Under the previous system, starting a new job could mean losing the statutory right to Paternity Leave because of the service requirement. From April 2026, that restriction was removed for the leave entitlement.
The change should not be confused with Statutory Paternity Pay. Pay has its own qualifying conditions, including a minimum earnings requirement and 26 weeks of continuous employment by the relevant qualifying week.
For employees, the practical lesson is simple: check leave eligibility and pay eligibility separately. Having one does not automatically guarantee the other.
How much paternity leave are fathers entitled to in the UK?
The statutory entitlement remains up to two weeks of Paternity Leave. An employee can normally choose to take the two weeks together or use them as two separate one-week blocks.
The entitlement does not increase when twins or more than one baby arrive at the same time. A week also means the number of days the employee normally works in that week. For example, someone who normally works two days each week would use two working days for one statutory week of Paternity Leave.
Leave cannot start before the birth. It can begin on the date of birth, a specified number of days afterwards or another agreed date after the birth. The leave must normally finish within 52 weeks of the child’s birth, giving parents some flexibility over when they use their entitlement.
This means the answer to “How many days of paternity leave do fathers get in the UK?” is not always a fixed number of calendar days. The statutory entitlement is one or two weeks based on the employee’s normal working pattern.
How much is Statutory Paternity Pay in 2026?
For the 2026 to 2027 tax year, Statutory Paternity Pay is £194.32 a week or 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. Tax and National Insurance can be deducted in the normal way.
The 2026 changes did not remove the service and earnings requirements for statutory pay. To qualify, an employee generally needs to have worked continuously for the employer for at least 26 weeks by the qualifying week, remain employed up to the birth and earn at least the required average weekly amount.
For 2026, the minimum average weekly earnings threshold is £129 before tax. The employee must also provide the required notice.
Employers can offer enhanced paternity packages above the statutory minimum. Some businesses therefore provide full pay or several additional weeks of leave. These are contractual benefits rather than a universal legal entitlement, so employees should check their employer’s family leave policy before making financial plans.
What is the paternity leave UK form?
Employees can claim Paternity Leave and Pay through their employer. The government has an online form that replaced the older SC3 process. After completing the form, the employee downloads or prints it and gives it to the employer, unless the employer has its own form or procedure.
The form is used to provide important information such as the baby’s expected date of birth and the employee’s intended leave arrangements. Employers can also ask employees to provide the information in writing through their own internal system.
For a baby expected on or after 26 July 2026, the standard notice rules apply. Employees generally need to tell their employer the due date at least 15 weeks before the expected week of childbirth and provide at least 28 days’ notice of when they want their leave to begin and whether they want one or two weeks.
It is worth checking the employer’s procedure early because a company may use its own form instead of the standard government document.
When can you take paternity leave in the UK?
Paternity Leave cannot begin before the baby is born. An employee can choose to start it on the date of birth, a specified number of days after the birth or another agreed date after the birth.
The two weeks can be taken consecutively or separately in one-week blocks. This flexibility can be useful for parents who want to be at home immediately after the birth but also need another week later to support their partner or care for their baby.
There are also notice requirements that should not be overlooked. For babies due on or after 26 July 2026, employees normally need to provide the expected due date at least 15 weeks before the expected week of childbirth. They also need to give at least 28 days’ notice of the intended leave start date.
The government introduced temporary transitional arrangements for some babies due between 5 April and 25 July 2026. Those arrangements do not apply to babies due from 26 July onwards.
Can fathers take four weeks of paternity leave in the UK?
No. Four weeks is not the current statutory entitlement in 2026. The legal minimum remains up to two weeks of Paternity Leave.
However, four weeks has become an important subject in discussions about reform. A parliamentary petition calling for statutory Paternity Leave to increase from two weeks to four weeks closed in August 2025 after receiving 155 signatures. Another petition published in December 2025 called for at least four weeks of leave and statutory support for self-employed fathers; it closed on 16 June 2026 with 96 signatures. Neither petition changed the law.
There is also a newer parliamentary petition calling for a much larger increase. It proposes a minimum of 12 weeks of paid statutory leave for fathers and was still open in September 2026. However, a petition is not the same as legislation and does not create a new legal entitlement.
Therefore, employees should not assume that four weeks, six weeks or 12 weeks is currently guaranteed by UK law.
Has paternity leave increased in the UK?
The length of statutory Paternity Leave has not increased in 2026. Employees are still entitled to a maximum of two weeks.
What has changed is access to the leave. From 6 April 2026, Paternity Leave became available from the first day of employment, subject to the other qualifying conditions and notice requirements. That is a significant improvement for newer employees even though the number of weeks has stayed the same.
There are also discussions about increasing the entitlement. Parliamentary petitions have called for four weeks, six weeks and 12 weeks, showing that the two-week statutory limit remains controversial.
Some employers already provide substantially more generous benefits than the legal minimum. A company may offer several weeks of fully paid leave as part of its own parental benefits package.
This creates an important difference between statutory Paternity Leave and company paternity policies. The first is the legal minimum. The second can be considerably more generous.
What does paternity leave mean for NHS employees?
NHS employees should distinguish between the statutory entitlement and any enhanced benefits provided under their employment arrangements.
The national statutory rules establish the legal minimum, but an NHS worker may have access to contractual or organisational policies that provide better terms. The exact entitlement can depend on the employee’s circumstances, contract and applicable NHS employment provisions.
This means an NHS employee should not automatically assume that the statutory two-week payment is the full amount available. Checking the relevant NHS employer’s current family leave policy can reveal whether enhanced pay or additional leave applies.
The same principle applies across many large employers. Banks, technology companies, professional services firms and other organisations sometimes provide enhanced parental packages that go beyond the statutory minimum.
For this reason, anyone searching for “paternity leave UK NHS” should check both the national statutory rules and the relevant employer policy rather than relying on the two-week legal minimum alone.
Who qualifies for paternity leave in 2026?
The rules cover eligible employees who are taking time away from work to care for a child and who fall within the recognised categories. This can include the child’s father, the mother’s husband or partner, an adopter and an intended parent in a qualifying surrogacy arrangement. Same-sex partners can also qualify where the conditions are met.
The most important 2026 change is that the employee no longer needs 26 weeks of service to qualify for Paternity Leave. The right is available from the first day of employment, provided the other requirements are satisfied.
Statutory Paternity Pay is different. An employee generally needs 26 weeks of continuous employment by the qualifying week and must meet the earnings threshold.
Employees should therefore avoid treating “paternity leave” and “paternity pay” as interchangeable. A person may qualify for time off but fail to qualify for statutory pay.
Can paternity leave be taken after Shared Parental Leave?
Yes. One of the 2026 changes gives eligible fathers and partners greater flexibility by allowing Paternity Leave and Pay to be taken after Shared Parental Leave and Pay.
This matters because families do not always want to use their parental leave in the traditional order. A father or partner may choose to use Shared Parental Leave first and then take their Paternity Leave later, where the statutory conditions are satisfied.
The change gives families more control over how they arrange time away from work during the first year.
However, employees still need to follow the relevant notice requirements. Shared Parental Leave has its own rules, and Paternity Leave has separate notice provisions.
For parents planning several different types of leave, it is sensible to map the dates before submitting notices. This can prevent an employee from accidentally losing flexibility or choosing an arrangement that does not work with their employer’s procedures.
What should employees check before requesting paternity leave?
The 2026 rules are easier to understand when employees separate the process into a few practical checks:
- Check your leave entitlement: Paternity Leave is now a day-one right for eligible employees.
- Check your pay entitlement: Statutory Paternity Pay still has a 26-week service condition and an earnings threshold.
- Check the notice deadline: For babies due on or after 26 July 2026, the standard 15-week and 28-day notice rules apply.
- Check your employer’s policy: Your employer may offer more generous pay or leave than the statutory minimum.
- Check the timing: Leave cannot begin before the birth and normally must finish within 52 weeks.
Keeping these points separate makes the process much less confusing. The biggest mistake is assuming that the new day-one leave right also means immediate entitlement to statutory pay. It does not.
Is paternity leave worth it?
For many new fathers and partners, taking Paternity Leave can be valuable even when statutory pay is lower than their normal salary. The first days and weeks after a baby’s arrival can involve feeding, appointments, disrupted sleep and significant changes to household responsibilities.
Time away from work can allow the non-birthing parent to support their partner and become more involved in early childcare. It can also give families an opportunity to establish routines before the employee returns to work.
The financial side still matters. Someone receiving statutory pay may experience a noticeable drop in income, particularly if their normal salary is considerably higher than the statutory rate. This is where an employer’s enhanced policy can make a major difference.
Ultimately, the decision depends on household finances, employer benefits and family circumstances. The important point is that eligible employees now have greater flexibility because Paternity Leave itself is available from the first day of employment.
What could happen to paternity leave next?
Further reform remains possible, but there is no confirmed law giving fathers four, six or 12 weeks of statutory Paternity Leave in 2026.
The parliamentary petition landscape shows continued pressure for change. A petition calling for at least 12 weeks of paid statutory leave for fathers was still open in September 2026. It proposes a much longer entitlement than the current two-week system, but it is a campaign for legal reform rather than an existing employment right.
Earlier petitions have also called for four or six weeks. Some have closed without reaching the 10,000-signature threshold required for a government response, while others were rejected or closed.
This means headlines about a “paternity leave increase” should be treated carefully. A proposal, petition or employer policy does not automatically change national employment law.
For now, the statutory position remains clear: eligible employees can take up to two weeks, while employers are free to offer more generous arrangements.
FAQ
How many days of paternity leave do fathers get in the UK?
The statutory entitlement is up to two weeks. The number of working days depends on the employee’s normal working pattern. Someone working five days a week could take up to 10 working days, while someone working two days a week would have a statutory week consisting of two working days.
Do men get six weeks of paternity leave in the UK?
No. Six weeks is not the current statutory entitlement. Some employers may offer enhanced parental leave, but the legal statutory entitlement remains up to two weeks.
How long will paternity leave be in the UK in 2026?
Under the current law, it remains up to two weeks. The major 2026 reform changed when employees become eligible rather than increasing the length of statutory leave. From 6 April 2026, Paternity Leave became a day-one employment right.
Is there a petition for four weeks of paternity leave in the UK?
Yes, there have been petitions calling for four weeks. One petition specifically asking to increase statutory Paternity Leave from two weeks to four weeks closed on 24 August 2025 with 155 signatures. Another petition calling for at least four weeks and support for self-employed fathers closed on 16 June 2026 with 96 signatures. Neither changed the law.
Has paternity leave increased in the UK?
The length has not increased. The statutory maximum remains two weeks. What changed in April 2026 is that eligible employees can qualify for Paternity Leave from their first day of employment. Statutory Paternity Pay continues to have separate qualifying requirements.
Conclusion
The 2026 reforms have made Paternity Leave more accessible without increasing the statutory amount of time available. Since 6 April 2026, eligible employees have been able to qualify for Paternity Leave from their first day of employment, removing the previous 26-week service requirement for the leave itself. However, Statutory Paternity Pay still has separate conditions, including the 26-week employment requirement and minimum earnings threshold.
For most eligible employees, the legal entitlement remains up to two weeks, which can be taken together or as separate one-week blocks. Four, six and 12-week proposals have attracted attention, but none currently replaces the statutory two-week entitlement.
The biggest practical step is to check the difference between leave, pay and any enhanced employer scheme. Employees should also make sure they meet the relevant notice deadlines. With further reform still being discussed, paternity rights are likely to remain an important employment issue beyond 2026.
