Work​Entitlements.co.uk

Parental bereavement leave and pay

If your child dies under the age of 18, or you have a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy, you have the right to 2 weeks of leave from the first day of any job — and statutory pay with 26 weeks' service. This page states the rules plainly; we're sorry you need them.

The entitlement ('Jack's Law')

2026/27

2 weeks' leave, within 56 weeks of the death

Taken as one 2-week block, two separate weeks, or a single week. Pay: £194.32/week or 90% of earnings if lower, for eligible employees.

Leave vs pay — different tests

Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay Act 2018 (in force 2020)
LeavePay (SPBP)
Service neededNone — day-one right26 weeks + £129/week average earnings
Amount2 weeks per child2 weeks at the statutory rate
NoticeNone in writing required in the first 56 days; flexible thereafterWritten notice within 28 days of each week taken
WindowAny time within 56 weeks of the death — deliberately long, so a week around the first anniversary is possible

Who counts as a bereaved parent

Biological, adoptive and intended (surrogacy) parents, a partner living with the child's parent, and anyone with day-to-day responsibility for the child — foster carers and kinship carers included (paid fosterers and au pairs are excluded). Each parent has the right independently, and it applies per child.

In the first 8 weeks after the death, leave can start with no formal notice — telling your manager that morning is enough. Miscarriage before 24 weeks isn't covered by this Act, but sickness absence, compassionate-leave policies and (from some employers) voluntary bereavement leave apply; the mother's pregnancy-related absence is also protected.

Common questions

Can it be taken as separate days?
No — whole weeks only: one block of two, or two separate single weeks. Many employers allow more flexibility contractually; the statutory scheme is week-based.
What if my child dies during my maternity or paternity leave?
Maternity leave continues in full. Parental bereavement leave can be added after it ends (the 56-week window makes this workable), and paternity/SPL already booked can still be taken.
Is the pay per child?
Yes — the loss of more than one child gives a separate entitlement for each.
Northern Ireland?
NI has its own equivalent scheme (in force since April 2022) with matching structure — see nidirect for the NI rates page.

Related calculators & guides

Sources for the figures on this page

Last checked 3 July 2026

How we keep these current: methodology & update policy.