New dads could be eligible for payment of more than £187

New dads across the UK could be in line for additional financial support in a variety of ways. Whether you are expecting a newborn with your partner or adopting, you could qualify for a payment exceeding £187 per week.

You might also be entitled to a statutory set period of time off work to spend with your new child.

Any payments and benefits available to new fathers can also be shared with their partners, offering both of you extra assistance at the beginning of your parenting journey. For a comprehensive breakdown of the help you could receive from your employer, read on.

Paternity Pay and Leave

Paternity Pay enables fathers to take time off work if their partner is having a baby, having a baby through surrogacy, or adopting a child. Eligible fathers can get one or two weeks' paid Paternity Leave from their workplace.

If you opt for two weeks of leave, you can take them either together or separately. Bear in mind that one week's worth of leave equates to the same number of days you would typically work in a week.

Fathers can only take this leave within 52 weeks of the birth or due date if the baby was born early. For adoption, the Paternity period can commence either on the date of placement or the date the child arrives in the UK if you're adopting from abroad.

How much you can get from Paternity Pay

Paternity Pay is given at a weekly rate of either £187.18 or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. This sum will be paid in the same manner as your wages by your employer.

Shared Parent Leave and Pay

Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) are available to both mums and dads who are having a baby, adopting or fostering a child, or using a surrogate. New parents can avail up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks' worth of pay between them.

Parents have the flexibility to take this leave all at once, or they can divide it into smaller periods. They also have the option to take the leave together or stagger it between them.

How much you can get from ShPP

ShPP is given at a rate of either £187.18 a week (more than £748 a month) or 90 % of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.

While new parents can share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay between them, the actual amount will depend on how much maternity or adoption leave and pay either partner takes. For example, one partner can take less than the 52 weeks of maternity or adoption leave and use the rest of their allowance as SPL.

Alternatively, they can take less than 39 weeks of Maternity Allowance and use the remaining as ShPP.

For mothers who will initially receive SMP before switching to SPL, the government's official guidance provides this example: "A woman decides to start her maternity leave four weeks before the due date and gives notice that she'll start SPL from 10 weeks after the birth (taking a total of 14 weeks maternity leave). She normally earns £200 a week.

"She's paid £180 (90 per cent of her average weekly earnings) as SMP for the first six weeks of maternity leave, then £187.18 a week for the next eight weeks. Once she goes onto SPL, she's still paid £187.18 a week."

Full details on support available for new fathers can be found here.