Great news for parents in the UK! Starting 6 April 2025, parents of babies needing parental care will get up to twelve weeks of neonatal leave and pay. This is part of the new Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023. The law applies to England, Scotland, and Wales but not Northern Ireland.
If a baby is admitted to neonatal care within the first 28 days of birth and stays in the hospital for at least seven days, parents can take this special leave. It won’t affect their maternity, paternity, or parental leave. Around 60,000 parents are expected to benefit from this every year.
To get neonatal pay, parents must have worked for their employer for at least 26 weeks and earn an average of £125 weekly. The leave must be used within 68 weeks of the baby’s birth. Parents will also get job protection, meaning they can’t be fired for taking this leave.
Alongside this, other changes are coming in April 2025. Statutory sick pay will rise to £118.75 per week, and maternity, paternity, and adoption pay will increase to £187.18 weekly.
This new law aims to support parents during tough times, giving them more time to care for their newborns without worrying about work or pay. A big step for families in the UK!
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