Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave: employer guide
Employees in Northern Ireland
From 6 April 2026, employees in Northern Ireland may be eligible for Parental Bereavement Leave and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay if they or their partner:
- experienced a miscarriage
- had a child who has died under 18 years old
- had a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy
You’ll still need to follow all other existing Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay rules in this guide: on eligibility, notice periods, non-payment and record keeping.
When employees are eligible
Employees must meet the eligibility criteria both as a parent and an employee.
Employees are eligible for both leave and pay:
- for all types of parental bereavement
- from their first day of employment
They do not need a minimum length of service to qualify.
Eligibility and miscarriage
In cases of miscarriage, an employee is eligible if they either:
- experienced a miscarriage
- are ‘closely connected’ to the woman who had the miscarriage
‘Closely connected’ means they’re:
- the baby’s biological parent
- the woman’s partner
- intending to apply for a parental order (if the woman who experienced the miscarriage was a surrogate)
Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave
An employee can take 2 weeks’ leave for each child who has died or was stillborn, or where they or their partner has experienced a miscarriage.
They can choose to take:
- 2 weeks together
- 2 separate weeks of leave
- only one week of leave
The leave:
- can start on or after the date of the death, stillbirth or miscarriage
- must finish within 56 weeks of the date of the death, stillbirth or miscarriage
Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay
To get Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay, the employee must be employed by you on the day of the child’s death, stillbirth or the day the woman who experienced the miscarriage became aware of it.
They must also:
- earn on average £129 a week (gross)
- give you the correct notice for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay
You can calculate an employee’s Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay using:
Notice period
Employees must give notice for Parental Bereavement Leave as well as make a declaration of entitlement for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay.
Declaration of eligibility in cases of miscarriage
The employee must declare they are eligible on grounds of miscarriage. This applies both to those who experienced the miscarriage as well as those connected to the pregnancy.
They only need to provide this once - when they first ask for pay.
You cannot ask for evidence or details about the miscarriage or an employee’s relationship with the woman who experienced the miscarriage.