Am I entitled to Statutory Paternity Pay?

You are entitled to paid paternity leave

• if you are an employee; and
• you have been continuously employed by your current employer for 26 weeks or more by the end of the qualifying week (end of the 15th week before the child is due); and
• you are the father of the child and expect to have responsibility for the child; or you are married to or are the partner of the child’s mother, but are not the child’s father, and you expect to have the main responsibility, along with the mother, for the upbringing of the child; and
• you have been earning at or above the Lower Earnings Limit before tax on average over the 8 weeks up to the end of the qualifying week.

If your child is born early then you qualify for SPP if you would have been working for your current employer for at least 26 weeks by the qualifying week, even if the child were born before the qualifying week.