Neonatal Care Pay and Parental Bereavement Pay (2026/27)

If your newborn needs neonatal care for 7 days or more, you may get up to 12 weeks of Neonatal Care Leave and Pay, on top of your other parental leave. If your child dies before they turn 18, or you have a stillbirth after 24 weeks, you may get 2 weeks of Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay. Both pay £194.32 a week, or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that's lower.

Figures checked against GOV.UK on 4 October 2026.

Quick answer

Statutory Neonatal Care Pay and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay are both £194.32 a week, or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that's lower, in 2026/27. Neonatal Care Leave is 1 week for every 7 days in a row your baby is in neonatal care, up to 12 weeks. Parental Bereavement Leave is 2 weeks. Both types of pay need 26 weeks with your employer and average earnings of at least £129 a week.

Last checked: 4 October 2026 (GOV.UK employer guide and the Up-rating Order 2026).

Neonatal Care Pay

Your pay before tax (£)

Per

Days in a row your baby was (or is) in neonatal care

26 weeks with your employer by the qualifying week?

Leave: 1 week for every 7 full days in a row in neonatal care, up to 12 weeks, if your baby was born on or after 6 April 2025 and the care started in the first 28 days after birth. You must be an employee in England, Scotland or Wales. Length of service doesn't matter for the leave.
Pay: you also need 26 weeks' continuous employment up to the qualifying week and average earnings of at least £129 a week (2026/27).
It's on top of maternity, paternity and shared parental leave. If you're on maternity or adoption leave, Neonatal Care Leave is added at the end. You must take it within 68 weeks of the birth.
Twins or more in care at the same time: you can claim for one of them, up to 12 weeks.

Parental Bereavement Pay

Weeks of leave

26 weeks with your employer by the relevant week?

Leave: 2 weeks for each child who has died or was stillborn, from your first day in the job. You can take the 2 weeks together, separately, or just 1 week, at any point within 56 weeks of the death.
Pay: £194.32 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, if you have 26 weeks' continuous employment up to the relevant week and earn at least £129 a week on average.
If you're already on another type of statutory leave, such as maternity leave, bereavement leave starts after it ends. Northern Ireland has different eligibility rules for bereavements on or after 6 April 2026.

If you're going through this, support is available from Bliss (for families with a baby in neonatal care) and Sands (stillbirth and neonatal death). GOV.UK has a step-by-step guide to what to do when someone dies.

Sources: GOV.UK Neonatal Care Pay and Leave, employer guide and Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave; the 2026/27 rate of £194.32 is set by the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2026. On 4 October 2026, GOV.UK's neonatal guide for parents still showed the 2025/26 figures (£187.18 and £125), while the employer guide showed £194.32. All tax and National Insurance are deducted through payroll. This is an estimate, not advice.

FAQs

How much is Statutory Neonatal Care Pay in 2026/27?

£194.32 a week, or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that's lower, for up to 12 weeks. You get 1 week for every 7 full days in a row your baby is in neonatal care.

How much is Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay?

£194.32 a week, or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that's lower, for up to 2 weeks. The leave can be taken from day one of a job; the pay needs 26 weeks with your employer.

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