GOV.UK
Paternity pay and leave
5. How to claim
Ordinary Paternity Leave
You must tell your employer at least 15 weeks before the week the baby is expected:
- the baby’s due date
- when you want your leave to start (eg the day of the birth or the week after the birth)
- if you want 1 or 2 weeks’ leave
Work out when to tell your employer you want paternity leave online.
Your employer can ask for this in writing. You can ask for paternity pay at the same time, if you use form SC3 (or your employer’s own version).
The rules and forms are different if you adopt.
Ordinary Paternity Pay
You must give your employer form SC3 (or their own version) at least 28 days before you want your pay to start.
The rules and forms are different if you adopt.
For Ordinary Paternity Leave and Pay you don’t need proof of the pregnancy or birth - the rules are different if you adopt.
Additional Paternity Leave and Pay
You must give your employer at least 8 weeks’ notice before you want your period of additional pay or leave to start (this doesn’t apply if the mother or adopter has died). Give your employer the appropriate form (or their own version) depending on whether you’re:
- having a baby (form SC7)
- adopting in the UK (form SC8)
- adopting from overseas (form SC9)
- caring for a child whose mother or adopter has died (form SC10)
Your employer can ask for:
- a copy of your child’s birth certificate or adoption matching certificate
- the employment details of the mother or adopter
You’ll need to provide this information within 28 days.