Neonatal Care Leave Planner

Plan a Great Britain leave block, the 68-week reference date and the Tier 1 or Tier 2 notice steps.

Website updated 30 October 2026

Neonatal Care Leave schedule

Sample plan

This is a date reminder using an employer-confirmed leave balance. It does not decide leave or statutory-pay eligibility and does not estimate pay.

Confirmed leave weeks left after this block

4 weeks

Planned block ends

24 January 2027

Edit sample plan

Leave and employer notice dates

Give written Tier 2 notice (28 days before start)
14 December 2026
GOV.UK requires written notice. One week uses 15 days’ notice; a block of two or more weeks uses 28 days.
Planned leave block
11 January 2027 – 24 January 2027
2 whole week(s), ending within the 68-week reference date of 4 December 2027 if the entered dates allow.

Sample: two continuous Tier 2 weeks from 11 January 2027; standard written notice reminder is 14 December 2026.

Your Great Britain leave plan

Baby’s date of birthUsed to calculate the 68-week reference date.Neonatal Care Leave weeks confirmed and remainingEnter the whole-week balance confirmed by your employer (0–12).When will this leave be taken?Choose the tier supported by the care and discharge dates.Planned leave start dateEnter the first day of this continuous block.Weeks in this one continuous blockEnter whole weeks; plan one block at a time.

Sample only. Dates stay in this page session: they are not written to the URL or saved to an account.

A notice calendar, not an eligibility decision

This planner schedules one continuous Neonatal Care Leave block from dates and a remaining leave balance you enter. Your employer must confirm the qualifying care period and leave weeks. Neonatal Care Leave and Statutory Neonatal Care Pay have different tests; this page does not decide either entitlement or estimate a payment.

Great Britain covers England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland follows separate employment law, so do not use this calendar for an NI job. For care, employee and pay conditions, the 2026/27 rate and the broader adoption/surrogacy routes, read the Neonatal Care Leave and Pay guide. If you qualify for statutory pay, the guide explains the gross rate; payroll confirms the claim and deductions.

This planner keeps your entries in the current page session; it does not put them in the URL or save them to an account. That avoids placing a baby’s birth date or neonatal-leave plan in a shareable link.

Neonatal Care Leave planner FAQs

Does this planner apply in Northern Ireland?

No. It is for employees working in England, Scotland or Wales. GOV.UK says the Great Britain statutory scheme does not establish entitlement for a Northern Ireland job; check nidirect and the Labour Relations Agency.

Which babies can qualify for the scheme?

GOV.UK says the baby must be born on or after 6 April 2025 and neonatal care must start within 28 days after birth. You must have the relevant parent or partner relationship, caring responsibility and take the leave to care for the baby.

What care counts as neonatal care?

It can include hospital care, qualifying consultant-led care after discharge with ongoing hospital-arranged checks, or palliative/end-of-life care. Ask the hospital and employer to confirm that the care meets the statutory definition.

How are the weeks of leave worked out?

The statutory allowance is one week for each seven full and continuous days of qualifying neonatal care, up to 12 weeks. Enter only the remaining weeks confirmed by the employer; this planner does not count care days or establish eligibility.

Do I need 26 weeks of service to take Neonatal Care Leave?

No minimum service period applies to the leave right if the employee, relationship, care and location conditions are met. Statutory Neonatal Care Pay has separate service and earnings conditions.

What extra tests apply to Statutory Neonatal Care Pay?

GOV.UK lists at least 26 weeks’ continuous employment by the relevant qualifying week, average earnings of at least £129 a week before tax over the relevant eight-week period, and continued employment through the week before pay starts. Payroll must confirm the applicable qualifying week and calculation.

How much is Statutory Neonatal Care Pay in 2026/27?

The published rate is £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. It is paid through payroll with tax and National Insurance deductions; this planner does not calculate eligibility, gross pay or net pay.

What is Tier 1 leave?

Tier 1 is leave taken while the baby is in neonatal care or within the first week after discharge. This planner asks you to select the tier based on the care/discharge dates; confirm it with the employer.

How do I notify my employer for Tier 1 leave?

Tell the employer on the day the leave starts, ideally before your usual start time or as soon as possible afterwards. GOV.UK allows phone, voicemail or text for the initial leave notice. If you need another week, notify the employer again by the end of the preceding week unless a different contact arrangement is agreed.

When is the Tier 1 pay-claim notice due?

The pay-claim notice must be in writing. GOV.UK allows it up to 28 days after the leave starts; the planner shows that 28-day reference date.

How much notice does Tier 2 need?

Tier 2 is leave taken more than a week after discharge. Give written notice 15 days before a one-week block or 28 days before a block of two or more weeks. The date reminder uses calendar-day subtraction; confirm the due date and employer process.

Can I take Neonatal Care Leave in more than one block?

Tier 1 can be taken in separate blocks of at least one week. Tier 2 must be one continuous block. This page models one continuous block at a time, not a multi-block or multi-claim schedule.

When must the leave finish?

GOV.UK says leave must be taken within 68 weeks of the baby’s birth. The planner shows that 68-week reference date and flags a block ending after it; the employer confirms the exact permitted end date.

What if I am already taking maternity or adoption leave?

If the baby enters neonatal care while you are on Statutory Maternity Leave or Adoption Leave, Neonatal Care Leave follows when that leave ends. Different sequencing rules apply to Paternity Leave and Shared Parental Leave; confirm the sequence before booking.

Does the tool decide how many weeks I qualify for or whether pay is due?

No. It uses the remaining leave weeks you enter as confirmed by the employer. It does not assess employee status, qualifying care, parental relationship, the pay service/earnings tests, the claim evidence or the payroll amount.

Does the planner save the baby’s dates?

No. The birth date and leave plan remain in the current page session. They are not put in the URL or saved to an account.

Official Neonatal Care Leave and Pay sources

Use the current GOV.UK pages and confirm individual leave and pay decisions with the employer.

GOV.UK: Neonatal Care Pay and Leave overview
Care types, seven-day rule and the Great Britain scope.
GOV.UK: What you can get
Leave weeks, 68-week window and sequencing.
GOV.UK: Check if you’re eligible
Separate leave and statutory-pay eligibility tests.
GOV.UK: How to claim
Tier 1/Tier 2 notice, forms and claim timing.
GOV.UK: Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027
Published weekly statutory-pay rate and earnings threshold.
GOV.UK: Employee rights when taking parental leave
Employment rights during family leave.

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Leave and employer notice dates

Give written Tier 2 notice (28 days before start)

14 December 2026

GOV.UK requires written notice. One week uses 15 days’ notice; a block of two or more weeks uses 28 days.

Planned leave block

11 January 2027 – 24 January 2027

2 whole week(s), ending within the 68-week reference date of 4 December 2027 if the entered dates allow.

Sample: two continuous Tier 2 weeks from 11 January 2027; standard written notice reminder is 14 December 2026.

Your Great Britain leave plan

Baby’s date of birthUsed to calculate the 68-week reference date.

Neonatal Care Leave weeks confirmed and remainingEnter the whole-week balance confirmed by your employer (0–12).

When will this leave be taken?Choose the tier supported by the care and discharge dates.

Planned leave start dateEnter the first day of this continuous block.

Weeks in this one continuous blockEnter whole weeks; plan one block at a time.

Sample only. Dates stay in this page session: they are not written to the URL or saved to an account.

A notice calendar, not an eligibility decision