Is there self-employed paternity pay (and leave)?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOnly employees with an employment contract can get Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) and leave \u2013 currently, there’s no self-employed equivalent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This guide is designed to help you plan around that, with ideas and ways of preparing your family’s affairs ready for your new baby’s birth and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not sure of your employment status (i.e. whether you\u2019re an employee, contractor, self-employed, casual worker, or something else)? Find out more about your employment status and rights<\/a> with our up-to-date article.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is shared parental leave?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Shared parental leave is a way for both parents to share statutory paid time off after having a baby. Shared parental leave means you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay between you<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- take your leave at the same time or separately<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
You have to take shared parental leave within the first year of your child\u2019s birth \u2013 either all in one go or in blocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But self-employed people aren\u2019t entitled to shared parental leave. Your partner may be entitled to it, if they\u2019re traditionally employed and meet certain earning criteria, however you both have to meet the eligibility criteria in order to share it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can use a form on the government website to help you work out if either you or your partner can take shared parental leave<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nRunning your business while on paternity leave <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nWhen you\u2019re self-employed, the amount of paternity leave you take is completely up to you. You\u2019ll want to base this decision on what you can afford, but also on what works for you, your partner, and any other children you may have. Money is very important, but every pregnancy, birth, and baby is different, so have a plan to refer to but stay flexible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Things to think about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- how much time can you afford to take off?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- how will you plan around procedures such as a caesarean, if needed? Remember, this would mean your partner needs extra support and time from you<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- have you factored in pre-natal appointments and scans, as well as any false alarms for the beginnings of labour?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- what will your partner\u2019s maternity pay and leave look like?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- if you have any other young children, who will be looking after them at the birth and in the weeks after?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.simplybusiness.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/09\/Ben-Gatenby-scaled.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\u201cStart saving as soon as you find out, even if it\u2019s just a small amount each week or month, so you can take some time off without added financial stress.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ben Gatenby
<\/strong>Self-employed locksmith<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nBen Gatenby, a self-employed locksmith in Leeds<\/a>, took two weeks off when his child was born. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cWhile it wasn\u2019t a long break, it was important to me to be present during those early days,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlthough due to the emergency nature of the locksmith industry, I still ended up nipping out on the odd occasion for our most regular customers just to try and ensure we didn\u2019t lose their custom. They do say there\u2019s no such thing as a day off when you\u2019re self-employed!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPreparing for time off needed planning in advance. I saved up as much as possible in the run up to cover any lost income. I also took on more out of hours work than usual just to bank that bit extra. I was also upfront with regular customers, letting them know about my availability well in advance. Thankfully, most were understanding, which helped take away some of the stress.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Save 5% of your monthly income<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Dad.info<\/a> is a great resource for dads and dads-to-be. In their guidance for self-employed fathers, they recommend saving about five per cent of your monthly income, for each week you want to take off to be with your partner and new baby. So if you find out about the pregnancy at the start of month two, you\u2019ll have another seven months to save.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhether this is manageable and realistic for you is another question. But planning around the birth with seven months to go is much better than seven weeks (or days) before the due date. But if you have left it until the last minute, don\u2019t panic. Focus on your partner, the baby, and those first couple of weeks, and rope in as much support from your family and friends as you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Planning your finances for paternity leave<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nSadly, there\u2019s no equivalent to SPP for self-employed fathers. This may change (we hope it does), but for now the best thing you can do is start getting a plan in place for how you\u2019ll manage family affairs, before the baby arrives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Statutory paternity leave and pay is generally designed to kick in on or right around your baby\u2019s day of delivery, covering you and your family for the time you\u2019d need to spend away from work. It makes sense for your plan to focus on these days and weeks in particular. Once you\u2019re clear on the due date and fortnight or so afterwards, think about how you\u2019ll manage things if the baby arrives early, or a little (or a lot) later than expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, bear in mind those all-important scan dates and antenatal appointments. If you\u2019re not sure, ask your partner for a list of what\u2019s coming up. You may not decide to be at all of them, but being self-employed means you\u2019ll need to factor in the time for any you do attend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
‘Communicate clearly with customers about your plans’<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPlan as much as you can in advance,\u201d Ben advises. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStart saving as soon as you find out, even if it\u2019s just a small amount each week or month, so you can take some time off without added financial stress.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCommunicate clearly with customers about your plans, they\u2019re often more understanding than you might expect. Most importantly, I would prioritise being present for the child, although I know that\u2019s easier said than done when faced with financial stress. But those first few weeks are priceless. Money comes and goes, but you will never be able to get those early days with your child back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can limited company directors get paternity leave? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhile you can\u2019t get paternity leave if self-employed, company directors are another matter entirely. Since you\u2019re technically employed \u2013 even though with your own company \u2013 and paying yourself through PAYE, you can claim up to two weeks of paid paternity leave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To be eligible for paternity leave from your own limited company you\u2019ll need to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- give 15 weeks\u2019 notice (even just to yourself\/your own company)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- have been employed by your limited company continuously for a minimum period of 26 weeks up to the 15-week notice period<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- be employed by your limited company up to the date the child is born (or adopted)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- be on the payroll of your limited company and earn a minimum of \u00a3120 gross weekly income during an eight-week period<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll need to take this leave in consecutive weeks and finish it within 56 days of the baby\u2019s birth date (or adoption date). You can\u2019t work at all while you\u2019re claiming this type of leave. There are no exceptions, so be careful about how you delegate work before taking time off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During your paternity leave you\u2019ll still draw your salary from your limited company. The company then needs to claim this back from HMRC through payroll. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nPaternity leave: self-employed vs limited company directors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What is shared parental leave?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Shared parental leave is a way for both parents to share statutory paid time off after having a baby. Shared parental leave means you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay between you<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- take your leave at the same time or separately<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
You have to take shared parental leave within the first year of your child\u2019s birth \u2013 either all in one go or in blocks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But self-employed people aren\u2019t entitled to shared parental leave. Your partner may be entitled to it, if they\u2019re traditionally employed and meet certain earning criteria, however you both have to meet the eligibility criteria in order to share it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can use a form on the government website to help you work out if either you or your partner can take shared parental leave<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Running your business while on paternity leave <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nWhen you\u2019re self-employed, the amount of paternity leave you take is completely up to you. You\u2019ll want to base this decision on what you can afford, but also on what works for you, your partner, and any other children you may have. Money is very important, but every pregnancy, birth, and baby is different, so have a plan to refer to but stay flexible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Things to think about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- how much time can you afford to take off?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- how will you plan around procedures such as a caesarean, if needed? Remember, this would mean your partner needs extra support and time from you<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- have you factored in pre-natal appointments and scans, as well as any false alarms for the beginnings of labour?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- what will your partner\u2019s maternity pay and leave look like?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- if you have any other young children, who will be looking after them at the birth and in the weeks after?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\u201cStart saving as soon as you find out, even if it\u2019s just a small amount each week or month, so you can take some time off without added financial stress.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ben Gatenby
<\/strong>Self-employed locksmith<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nBen Gatenby, a self-employed locksmith in Leeds<\/a>, took two weeks off when his child was born. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhile it wasn\u2019t a long break, it was important to me to be present during those early days,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlthough due to the emergency nature of the locksmith industry, I still ended up nipping out on the odd occasion for our most regular customers just to try and ensure we didn\u2019t lose their custom. They do say there\u2019s no such thing as a day off when you\u2019re self-employed!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPreparing for time off needed planning in advance. I saved up as much as possible in the run up to cover any lost income. I also took on more out of hours work than usual just to bank that bit extra. I was also upfront with regular customers, letting them know about my availability well in advance. Thankfully, most were understanding, which helped take away some of the stress.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Save 5% of your monthly income<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Dad.info<\/a> is a great resource for dads and dads-to-be. In their guidance for self-employed fathers, they recommend saving about five per cent of your monthly income, for each week you want to take off to be with your partner and new baby. So if you find out about the pregnancy at the start of month two, you\u2019ll have another seven months to save.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether this is manageable and realistic for you is another question. But planning around the birth with seven months to go is much better than seven weeks (or days) before the due date. But if you have left it until the last minute, don\u2019t panic. Focus on your partner, the baby, and those first couple of weeks, and rope in as much support from your family and friends as you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Planning your finances for paternity leave<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sadly, there\u2019s no equivalent to SPP for self-employed fathers. This may change (we hope it does), but for now the best thing you can do is start getting a plan in place for how you\u2019ll manage family affairs, before the baby arrives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Statutory paternity leave and pay is generally designed to kick in on or right around your baby\u2019s day of delivery, covering you and your family for the time you\u2019d need to spend away from work. It makes sense for your plan to focus on these days and weeks in particular. Once you\u2019re clear on the due date and fortnight or so afterwards, think about how you\u2019ll manage things if the baby arrives early, or a little (or a lot) later than expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, bear in mind those all-important scan dates and antenatal appointments. If you\u2019re not sure, ask your partner for a list of what\u2019s coming up. You may not decide to be at all of them, but being self-employed means you\u2019ll need to factor in the time for any you do attend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
‘Communicate clearly with customers about your plans’<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPlan as much as you can in advance,\u201d Ben advises. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStart saving as soon as you find out, even if it\u2019s just a small amount each week or month, so you can take some time off without added financial stress.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCommunicate clearly with customers about your plans, they\u2019re often more understanding than you might expect. Most importantly, I would prioritise being present for the child, although I know that\u2019s easier said than done when faced with financial stress. But those first few weeks are priceless. Money comes and goes, but you will never be able to get those early days with your child back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Can limited company directors get paternity leave? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
While you can\u2019t get paternity leave if self-employed, company directors are another matter entirely. Since you\u2019re technically employed \u2013 even though with your own company \u2013 and paying yourself through PAYE, you can claim up to two weeks of paid paternity leave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To be eligible for paternity leave from your own limited company you\u2019ll need to: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- give 15 weeks\u2019 notice (even just to yourself\/your own company)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- have been employed by your limited company continuously for a minimum period of 26 weeks up to the 15-week notice period<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- be employed by your limited company up to the date the child is born (or adopted)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- be on the payroll of your limited company and earn a minimum of \u00a3120 gross weekly income during an eight-week period<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
You\u2019ll need to take this leave in consecutive weeks and finish it within 56 days of the baby\u2019s birth date (or adoption date). You can\u2019t work at all while you\u2019re claiming this type of leave. There are no exceptions, so be careful about how you delegate work before taking time off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
During your paternity leave you\u2019ll still draw your salary from your limited company. The company then needs to claim this back from HMRC through payroll. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nPaternity leave: self-employed vs limited company directors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n