Supporting employees through life changes
When an employee has a baby, takes on caring, is bereaved or falls ill, their pay often drops to a statutory rate. For 2026 to 2027 most statutory family pay is £194.32 a week, or 90% of average weekly earnings if lower, and Statutory Sick Pay is £123.25 a week, now paid from the first day of sickness. Carer's leave is one week a year, unpaid. Statutory bereavement leave arrives in April 2027, and employers with 250 or more staff must publish menopause action plans from 2027.
Figures checked 30 October 2026.
Statutory pay and leave, 2026 to 2027
| Life change | Statutory pay | Leave |
|---|---|---|
| A baby: maternity or adoption | 90% of average weekly earnings for 6 weeks, then £194.32 a week or 90% if lower | Statutory maternity or adoption leave |
| A baby: paternity | £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings if lower | A day-one right since 6 April 2026 |
| A baby: shared parental leave | £194.32 a week or 90% if lower | Shared between the parents |
| A baby in neonatal care | £194.32 a week or 90% if lower | Neonatal care leave |
| Death of a child | Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay, £194.32 a week or 90% if lower | Parental bereavement leave |
| Caring for a dependant | None | One week every 12 months, unpaid, from the first day of employment |
| Sickness | £123.25 a week or 80% of average weekly earnings if lower, from the first day | As long as the employee is unfit to work |
Employers recover 92% of statutory family pay from HMRC, or 109% if their Class 1 National Insurance for the previous tax year was £45,000 or less. Statutory Sick Pay cannot be recovered.
Changes in 2027
- April 2027: a new right to unpaid statutory bereavement leave, including after pregnancy loss
- March 2027: public sector employers with 250 or more workers must publish action plans covering gender equality and the menopause
- April 2027: private and voluntary sector employers with 250 or more workers must do the same
- Any employer can publish a menopause action plan voluntarily now
Where money help fits
Statutory pay is often well below normal pay, so the household budget needs reworking. Buzz Money Coach has a page for each of these changes, and on a Buzz guidance scheme every employee can connect their bank to the read-only Healthcheck and book a free 30-minute call with a coach to rework the budget.
A coach can also check what the employee is entitled to outside work, such as Child Benefit after a birth or Carer's Allowance, and points regulated decisions on pensions and protection to an adviser.
Buzz Money Coach pages for employees
Common questions
Is carer's leave paid?
No. Employees can take up to one week of unpaid carer's leave every 12 months from their first day. An employer can choose to pay it.
When does Statutory Sick Pay start?
From the first day of sickness, since 6 April 2026. The lower earnings limit for it was removed on the same date.
Do small employers need a menopause action plan?
Plans become compulsory in 2027 for employers with 250 or more workers. Smaller employers can publish one voluntarily.
Can we top up statutory pay?
Yes. An employer can pay enhanced maternity, paternity or sick pay set out in the employment contract or a policy. Anything above the statutory amount is the employer's own cost.
Related guides
Guides for employers
- Financial wellbeing cost per employee in the UK
- Employee financial wellbeing for small businesses
- Financial coaching for employees
- Is employer-paid financial coaching a taxable benefit?
- The £500 pensions advice exemption for employers
- What the 2029 salary sacrifice cap costs employers
- Employee financial wellbeing survey questions
- Automatic enrolment duties for small employers
- Earned wage access and salary advances for employees
- How to set up a financial wellbeing programme
- Financial wellbeing policy template
- Financial wellbeing providers' prices compared
- Salary sacrifice calculator
- Benefit or pay rise calculator