Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay

Please note: If an employee’s child has died or was stillborn before 6 April 2026, you should follow the legislative guidance for Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay - claims before 6 April 2026.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay for an eligible employee or worker is either:

• £194.32 a week or;
• 90% of their average weekly earnings (whichever is lower).

Tax and National Insurance need to be deducted.

Calculate Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay using Basic PAYE tools or guidance on manual calculation.

Some employment types, like agency workers, directors, and educational workers, have different rules for entitlement.

Extra leave or pay

Your company can offer more than the statutory amounts if you have a company scheme for parental bereavement leave and pay. You must make sure your scheme’s policies are clear and easily accessible to all staff.

Reclaiming payments

Even if you pay an employee more than the statutory amount, you can usually only reclaim 92% of that amount. You may be able to reclaim 109% if you qualify for Small Employers’ Relief. Read more about reclaiming statutory pay.

Employment rights

An employee’s rights (like the right to pay rises, holidays, and returning to a job) are protected during Parental Bereavement Leave. You still have to pay Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay even if you stop trading.