Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay

The rules are different in Northern Ireland for bereavements on or after 6 April 2026.

Leave

You can take 2 weeks’ leave from the first day of your employment for each child who has died or was stillborn if you’re eligible.

You can take 2 weeks leave in one block or as 2 separate blocks of one week.

You have 56 weeks to take Parental Bereavement Leave or claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay through your employer. This starts from the date of the child’s death.

Pay

You may be entitled to either £194.32 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower).

To be entitled to Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay, you must have been continuously employed by your employer for at least 26 weeks up to the end of the ‘relevant week’.

You must also earn on average £129 a week before tax (gross) over an 8-week period.

Who can take it

You may be eligible if at the time of the child’s death or stillbirth, you were the child or baby’s parent - either biological, adoptive or parent of a child born to a surrogate - or the partner of the child or baby’s parent.

You may also be eligible if the child or baby was living with you at your home for 4 continuous weeks, ending with the date of death, and you or your partner had day to day responsibility for the child or baby’s care during that time.

Other help

For funeral costs see the Children’s Funeral Fund for England. In Northern Ireland, see parental bereavement pay in Northern Ireland.

Common questions

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