For babies born on or after 6 April 2025 new support will be available for employed parents (or similar carers) whose child needs
to receive neonatal care soon after birth.
The government has recognised the extremely difficult choice that employed parents face when their child is having to receive neonatal care, where they may have to choose between their job and spending time with their child.
Statutory Neonatal Care Pay aims to alleviate this and will give employed parents a statutory right to paid leave in circumstances where their child is having to receive such care.
Statutory Neonatal Care Leave is a day one right. It is for up to 12 weeks and must be taken within 68 weeks from the date of the baby’s birth. It must be taken in blocks of one week.
Neonatal Care Pay is paid for up to 12 weeks within the first 68 weeks of birth where a child requires neonatal care which starts within 28 days of birth and goes on to spend seven or more continuous days in care.
You must have worked for the same employer for 26 weeks before the relevant week and have had average earnings of £125 in the 8 weeks before the relevant week.
The relevant week is:
For birth cases – the 14th week before the due date
For adoption cases – the week the adopter is notified of a match
In all other cases the week before the week in which the neonatal care starts
Employment rights have also now been amended so that parents who need to take Neonatal Care Leave have the same employment protections as those with other family-related statutory leave.
Regulations for the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/20
