Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (from April 2025)
🆕 New from 6 April 2025: Parents of babies in neonatal care for 7+ consecutive days are entitled to up to 12 weeks of neonatal care leave and pay (on top of maternity/paternity leave).
Frequently Asked Questions
This Act, effective from 6 April 2025, gives parents the right to take neonatal care leave (NCL) and pay if their newborn baby spends 7 or more consecutive days in neonatal care.
One week of leave for each complete week your baby spends in neonatal care, up to a maximum of 12 weeks. For example, if your baby was in neonatal care for 21 days (3 weeks), you'd be entitled to 3 weeks of NCL.
Yes. NCL is a new, additional entitlement — it does not replace maternity, paternity, adoption, or shared parental leave. Both parents can take NCL separately.
No. The right to take neonatal care leave applies from day one of employment. However, Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (SNCP) requires 26 weeks' continuous employment and earnings above the lower earnings limit.
The statutory rate for 2025/26 is £187.18/week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. This is the same rate as other statutory family payments.
NCL can be taken while the baby is still in neonatal care or after discharge, within 68 weeks of the baby's birth. This flexibility allows parents to plan recovery time.
The Act covers parents with parental responsibility for a newborn, including adoptive parents in the early stages. The baby must be the parent's own newborn.
Care in a hospital neonatal unit or equivalent specialist unit. The baby must have been admitted within 28 days of birth for medical treatment. Routine postnatal care doesn't qualify.
Yes. You should notify your employer of your intention to take NCL. Different notice requirements apply depending on whether the baby is still in care or has been discharged.
Yes. Both the birthing parent and their partner can take NCL simultaneously, as it is an independent entitlement for each parent.
NCL is in addition to and doesn't curtail maternity, paternity, adoption, or shared parental leave. However, taking other types of leave during the same period may affect timing.
Statutory minimums apply regardless. Your employer cannot offer less than the statutory entitlement. If in doubt, contact ACAS or Citizens Advice.