From 6 April 2025, statutory neonatal care leave (SNCL) and pay (SNCP) entitles eligible parents to time off work to care for their baby if they require neonatal care after birth. Here's everything you need to know about the entitlement.
What is statutory neonatal care and leave?
Statutory neonatal care leave and pay are additional entitlements for parents when their baby requires neonatal care after birth. This is in addition to any other parental leave or pay they are entitled to. Each parent has their own entitlement to leave and pay; it's not shared.
This entitlement applies to:
Birth parents
Adoptive parents
Intended parents in surrogacy arrangements
Statutory neonatal care leave (SNCL) allows parents to take leave if their baby requires neonatal care for 7 days or more within 28 days of birth. The entitlement is available for up to 12 weeks, depending on the duration of the baby's stay in neonatal care.
Statutory neonatal care pay (SNCP) is available to parents who meet the eligibility criteria, paid at the statutory parental pay rate.
Note: The entitlement is per birth event, not per baby. Parents having twins still have no more than 12 weeks of entitlement.
Eligibility for neonatal care leave and pay
To be eligible for statutory neonatal care leave, parents must:
Be employed, including from their first day of employment.
Work in Great Britain (not Northern Ireland).
Have a parental or personal relationship with the child (e.g., as a parent, partner of the child’s mother or adopter).
Have responsibility for the child’s care or be the primary carer during the neonatal care period.
Give appropriate notice to their employer.
To be eligible for statutory neonatal care pay, parents must meet the criteria for leave and:
Be employed for at least 26 weeks before the qualifying week or matching week.
Earn more than the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) during the 8-week qualifying period.
As with other statutory parental payments, employers can claim back 92% (or 103% if eligible) of neonatal care pay.
How neonatal care leave and pay can be taken
Parents. accrue one week of leave for each week the baby spends in neonatal care, up to a maximum of 12 weeks. This means the leave can't be taken until one week after the baby starts neonatal care. However, there is flexibility with other types of parental leave. For more information, see the FAQs section.
Neonatal care leave and pay are broken down into two tiers:
Tier One
When: While the baby is in neonatal care and the first week following discharge.
How: Can be taken in weekly blocks.
Notice: Must notify employer by the first day of absence or as soon as reasonably practicable.
Tier Two
When: From the second week after discharge, up to 68 weeks after birth.
How: Must be taken as one continuous block.
Notice:
For 1 week of leave: At least 2 weeks and 1 day notice.
For 2 or more weeks: At least 4 weeks notice.
More information will be published on HMRC's website from April 2025.
FAQs
If my employee’s baby is in neonatal care for two weeks, are they eligible for 12 weeks of neonatal care leave?
No, the entitlement to neonatal care leave is based on the baby’s stay in neonatal care. Employees accrue one week of neonatal care leave for every week the baby spends in neonatal care. So, if the baby is in neonatal care for two weeks, the employee is entitled to two weeks of neonatal care leave.
Can employees take neonatal care leave and maternity/paternity/adoption leave at the same time?
Neonatal care leave is in addition to other statutory parental leave entitlements. They can't be taken at the same time. However, the flexibility of neonatal care leave means it can be taken around other types of parental leave. It can be paused if shared parental or paternity leave has already been booked for that period.
However, maternity leave must begin on the day the baby is born and cannot be paused, so neonatal care leave typically starts after maternity leave ends.