Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave

What you can get

You may be able to get either or both Parental Bereavement Leave and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay.

Parental Bereavement 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 together
2 separate weeks of leave
only one week of leave

A week is the same number of days that you normally work in a week.

Example A week of Parental Bereavement Leave would be 2 days if you only work on Mondays and Tuesdays.

The leave:

can start on or after the date of the death or stillbirth
must finish within 56 weeks of the date of the death or stillbirth

Taking leave with other types of statutory leave

If you’re taking another type of statutory leave (for example, maternity leave or paternity leave) when the child dies or stillbirth happens, your Parental Bereavement Leave must start after the other leave has ended but does not have to be taken immediately after. This includes if the statutory leave is for another child.

If your Parental Bereavement Leave is interrupted by the start of another type of statutory leave, you can take your remaining entitlement to Parental Bereavement Leave after that other leave has ended.

Your remaining Parental Bereavement Leave must still be taken within 56 weeks of the date of death or stillbirth.

You can take Parental Bereavement Leave between blocks of shared parental leave that you booked before the child died. This includes if the shared parental leave is for another child.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You’ll be able to get either £184.03 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) if you’re eligible.

Any money you get is paid the same way as your wages, for example weekly or monthly, along with deductions for tax and National Insurance.

View a printable version of the whole guide

Step 1 Register the death
1. Register the death within 5 days
Check what to do if:
Step 2 Tell government about the death
The Tell Us Once service allows you to inform all the relevant government departments when someone dies.
1. Use the Tell Us Once service to tell government
2. If you cannot use Tell Us Once, tell government yourself
You'll also need to tell banks, utility companies, and landlords or housing associations yourself.
Step 3 Arrange the funeral
Step 4 Check if you can get bereavement benefits
You might be eligible for financial help.

Check if you can get:
and Deal with your own benefits, pension and taxes
Your tax, benefit claims and pension might change depending on your relationship with the person who died.
1. Manage your tax, pensions and benefits if your partner has died
2. Check how benefits are affected if a child dies
and Find bereavement support and services
Get help with managing grief and the things you need to do when someone dies.
1. Find bereavement help and support
2. Find bereavement services from your local council
and Check if you need to apply to stay in the UK
If your right to live in the UK depends on your relationship with someone who died you might need to apply for a new visa.

Check the rules if:
- you're in the UK as the partner of a British Citizen or someone with indefinite leave to remain
- your partner who died served as a member of HM Forces
1. Contact UKVI to check the rules for other visas
Step 5 Value the estate and check if you need to pay Inheritance Tax
To find out if there’s Inheritance Tax to pay, you need to estimate the value of the property, money and possessions (the ‘estate’) of the person who died.
1. Estimate the value of the estate to find out if you need to pay Inheritance Tax
1. Find out how to report the value of the estate
1. Pay Inheritance Tax if it’s due
Step 6 Apply for probate
You might need to apply for probate before you can deal with the property, money and possessions (the ‘estate’) of the person who died.
1. Check if you need to apply for probate
1. Apply for probate
Step 7 Deal with the estate
Pay any debts or taxes owed by the person who's died. You can then distribute the estate as set out in the will or the law.
1. Deal with the estate
1. Update property records