Statutory Neonatal Care Pay - Can I get Statutory Neonatal Care Pay?

You may be able to get up to 12 weeks of Statutory Neonatal Care Pay if:

• your baby was born on or after 6 April 2025

• your baby enters neonatal care within 28 days of birth

• your baby spends at least 7 days in a row in neonatal care

• you’re the baby’s parent or partner of the baby’s mother and have caring responsibility for the baby

• you’re taking the leave to care for the baby

• you meet the eligibility criteria as an employee (find out more below).

Eligibility criteria as an employee

To get Statutory Neonatal Care Pay, you must have worked for the same employer for at least 26 weeks up to the end of the ‘qualifying week’.

The ‘qualifying week’ depends on your situation:

• If you get Statutory Maternity or Paternity Pay, the qualifying week is the 15th week before your baby is due.

• If you get Statutory Adoption Pay, it’s the week you were told you’d been matched with the baby for adoption.

• In all other cases, it’s the week immediately before your baby goes into neonatal care.

You also need to:

• still be working for your employer up to the week before you want the pay to start

• earn average £125 a week (before tax) or more, over an 8-week period

If you or your partner are an adoptive parent

You may be able to get this pay if either:

• the baby has been placed with you, or

• you have received the ‘official notification’ saying you’re allowed to adopt (if you’re adopting from overseas)

If you or your partner had a baby with the help of a surrogate parent

You may be eligible for this pay if:

• you’re the intended parent and will be looking after the baby, and

• you plan to get a parental order within 6 months after the baby is born.