Shared Parental Leave: How It Works and Whether It's Worth It

Published 14 February 2026 · 9 min read

Only about 2% of eligible families use Shared Parental Leave. Two per cent! That number has barely budged since the scheme launched in 2015. For something designed to revolutionise how British families share childcare, that's pretty dismal. So what's going on? Is SPL genuinely not worth it, or are people just put off by the complexity? Having been through the process ourselves, I think it's a bit of both. Here's my honest take.

What Shared Parental Leave Actually Is

The concept is straightforward. Mum can end her maternity leave early and share the remaining weeks with her partner. The total leave pot is 52 weeks minus whatever mum has already taken. So 20 weeks of maternity leave, then curtail, and there are 32 weeks of SPL to split between you.

Same with pay. SMP runs for 39 weeks. The unused paid weeks convert into Shared Parental Pay (ShPP), currently £184.03 per week for 2025/26 (or 90% of average earnings if that's lower). The first 6 weeks at the higher rate (90% of earnings, no cap) can't be shared -- those stay with mum.

                The numbers for 2025/26: ShPP is £184.03/week. Mum must take at least 2 compulsory weeks before curtailing. Maximum available: 50 weeks of leave, 37 weeks of pay to share.
            

Eligibility: Who Can Take SPL?

Both parents need to qualify. Mum must be eligible for maternity leave or SMP/Maternity Allowance, and needs to curtail early. The partner needs 26 weeks of employment by the 15th week before the due date and must still be employed when they take SPL. They also need to have earned at least £390 in total across any 13 of the 66 weeks before the due date.

Self-employed partners can qualify if the earnings threshold is met. Same for agency workers and zero-hours staff, as long as they pass the continuity and earnings tests.

Why Hardly Anyone Uses It

Let me be real about this. The reasons are practical, financial, and cultural. All at once.

The money doesn't work for most families. In most households, the partner earns more. Dropping to £184.03 a week when your normal take-home might be £600 or £800? That's a brutal cut. Most families simply can't afford it.

Enhanced pay often doesn't extend to SPL. This is the really frustrating one. Lots of employers offer enhanced maternity pay -- full salary for 3, 6, even 12 months. But they don't offer the same for Shared Parental Pay. So the family actually gets more money overall if mum takes the full enhanced maternity leave, even if they'd prefer to share. It's a perverse incentive and it needs to change.

The admin is genuinely painful. Curtailment notices, entitlement notices, period of leave notices, signed declarations from both parents, separate applications to separate employers. When you're exhausted and dealing with a newborn, this pile of paperwork feels like a mountain.

Workplace culture hasn't caught up. Some partners -- let's be honest, mainly dads -- still feel awkward asking for extended leave. Worries about being seen as less committed, not knowing anyone who's done it before, uncertainty about how managers will react. Legal protections exist, but they don't always change the feeling in the room.

The Financial Calculation

Before you decide anything, sit down and run the numbers properly. What would each of you actually receive during time off? If both employers offer enhanced pay, compare your total household income under each scenario.

Say mum's employer pays 26 weeks at full salary then 13 weeks at statutory, but the partner's employer only offers statutory ShPP. In that case, mum taking the full enhanced period probably makes more financial sense. But if both employers enhance SPL, or the partner's earnings are low enough that statutory rate isn't such a big drop, SPL could work brilliantly.

Use our SMP calculator to model different scenarios. See the actual weekly figures. It might be more affordable than you assume.

Don't forget tax. ShPP is taxable, just like SMP. If the partner is a higher-rate taxpayer, they'll keep less of that £184.03 than a basic-rate taxpayer would. Factor that in.

How to Apply for SPL

Deep breath. Here are the steps. First, mum gives her employer a curtailment notice ending maternity leave early (at least 8 weeks' notice). Second, the parent taking SPL gives their employer a notice of entitlement and intention, also 8 weeks ahead. Third, each block of SPL needs a period of leave notice, again 8 weeks in advance. Employers must accept continuous blocks but can refuse discontinuous ones (leave with gaps).

The great thing? Both parents can take SPL simultaneously. Being at home together in those early weeks is genuinely special. It's one of the best things about the scheme.

Practical Tips for Making SPL Work

Talk to HR before baby arrives. Some HR departments have never processed an SPL claim. Give them time to figure it out. Seriously.
Ask about enhanced ShPP. Specifically. Don't assume -- ask. If they don't enhance it, consider raising it as a policy question. Things are slowly changing.
Plan your blocks. You get up to 3 separate blocks each. Discontinuous leave needs your employer's agreement, but continuous blocks can't be refused.
Use your SPLIT days. 20 days each where you can work without ending SPL. Great for keeping a toe in at work, attending key meetings, or easing back gradually.
Keep copies of everything. Every notice, every declaration, every email. SPL has more paperwork than standard maternity leave, and you want a clear record.
Know your protections. You have the same rights against unfair treatment and redundancy on SPL as on maternity leave. Nobody can penalise you for taking it.

Is SPL Worth It?

For us? Yes. Genuinely. Getting that time together as a family, having my partner develop real confidence as a solo carer, feeling less isolated during maternity leave -- all of that was worth the paperwork hassle. If you can afford the pay cut (or your employer enhances ShPP), SPL gives both parents something that standard leave just can't.

If the money doesn't work right now, that's OK. But do check before you dismiss it. Some partners are surprised to find their employer does enhance ShPP, or that the actual cost after tax and saved childcare fees is less scary than the headline numbers suggest.

The system isn't perfect. The pay is low, the paperwork is excessive, and too many employers still treat it as an oddity rather than a normal part of family life. But for the families who make it work? It can genuinely change how you experience those first months as parents.