Unpaid Parental Leave Planner

Plan a child-related unpaid leave block and check the usual entitlement, notice and leave-year dates for your UK jurisdiction.

Website updated 30 October 2026

Great Britain unpaid Parental Leave plan

Sample inputs

This is a planning estimate, not an employer decision. Statutory Parental Leave is unpaid; contractual pay or means-tested Universal Credit is separate and not estimated here.

Remaining total allowance entered

12 weeks

Available in this leave year entered

3 weeks

Edit sample inputs

Dates and allowance checks

Leave year used for the annual allowance
6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027
This uses the leave-year start entered from your employer’s policy. The current-year used-weeks figure is also supplied by you.
Standard employer notice reminder
By 10 November 2026
This reminder is 21 calendar days before the planned start. For leave immediately around birth or adoption, the separate deadline is 21 days before the expected week; this planner does not calculate that exception.
Planned block
2 week(s) from 1 December 2026 to 14 December 2026
A standard block is taken in whole weeks. Disability-related leave, a birth/adoption-week request and an employer’s more generous scheme can follow different handling.
Last day before the child turns 18
14 May 2038
The child turns 18 on 15 May 2038. Complete eligible leave before that birthday.
NI continuous-service reference
No minimum service period in the current GB eligibility guidance
The current GOV.UK eligibility guide lists no minimum service period for the GB statutory Parental Leave right.

The usual allowance is up to 18 weeks per child and no more than four weeks per child in one leave year. The entered totals do not cover disability-related day leave, carry-over exceptions, employer-enhanced terms or disputed history.

Your unpaid Parental Leave period

Employment jurisdictionChoose the rules that govern your job.Child’s date of birth or adoption placementUsed to show the child’s age-18 leave deadline.Employment start dateUsed for the Northern Ireland service reference only.Planned leave startThe standard employer-notice reminder is 21 days before this date.Start of your employer’s leave yearUse the date in your employer’s leave-year policy.Weeks already used for this childInclude weeks used with previous employers.Weeks used in this employer leave year for this childEnter weeks already used in this leave year.Weeks in the planned blockEnter whole weeks; exceptions are described below.I am an employee

Sample only. Your inputs are placed in this URL for sharing; avoid sharing personal dates.

Unpaid Parental Leave is a separate right

This planner covers ordinary statutory unpaid Parental Leave for employees caring for a child. It does not estimate wages, Universal Credit or employer-enhanced pay, and it does not decide employee status, parental responsibility, continuous service or an employer’s decision. The standard 21-day reminder does not calculate the separate deadline for leave immediately around a birth or adoption; check the official notice rules below.

Do not confuse this UK right with Ireland’s paid Parent’s Benefit-linked Parent’s Leave. For Great Britain, read the Unpaid Parental Leave guide; for Northern Ireland, read the Northern Ireland guide. Birth-parent leave is different again: see the Paternity Leave Timeline Planner.

Unpaid Parental Leave planner FAQs

Is statutory Parental Leave paid?

No. Ordinary statutory Parental Leave is unpaid. Contractual or enhanced employer pay is separate, and this planner does not estimate Universal Credit or replace lost wages.

How much leave can an employee take?

The usual entitlement is up to 18 weeks for each child before age 18. Normally no more than four weeks per child can be taken in one leave year, unless the employer agrees otherwise.

What is different between Great Britain and Northern Ireland?

Great Britain’s current GOV.UK eligibility guidance does not list a minimum service period. Northern Ireland generally requires one year of continuous service. Annual leave-year rules also differ; choose where the job is governed.

Who is eligible?

Eligibility depends on employee status, parental responsibility or the relevant birth/adoption record, the child’s age and (in Northern Ireland) continuous service. This tool does not decide those legal conditions.

How much notice do I give?

The usual rule is at least 21 days before the intended start. For leave immediately around a birth or adoption, the notice deadline is 21 days before the expected week. The displayed date is only the ordinary planned-start reminder.

Does my request have to be in writing?

Great Britain guidance says written notice is not required unless the employer asks for it; Northern Ireland guidance allows the employer to require writing. Keeping the request and response in writing is useful in either jurisdiction.

Can an employer postpone my leave?

In Great Britain, postponement is allowed only for a significant reason and subject to exceptions. Northern Ireland guidance has its own postponement conditions. Ask for the reason and revised dates in writing, and follow the relevant official guidance.

Can I take single days?

Usually leave is taken in whole weeks. Different rules can apply for a disabled child, or an employer may agree to a shorter block.

How is a week counted for part-time work?

A week is based on the time you normally work over seven days, rather than automatically five weekdays. Your employer should confirm how your work pattern is counted.

How does the leave year work in Great Britain?

The employer sets the leave year. Enter its start date; the planner advances that annual date to the year containing your planned start. Confirm any used weeks against the employer’s records.

How does the leave year work in Northern Ireland?

The NI leave year generally starts when you become eligible, or when the child is born if that is later. This planner estimates the anniversary from the entered employment and child dates; your employer confirms continuous service and the recorded leave year.

Do unused weeks transfer to a new employer?

The ordinary entitlement is per child rather than per job, but eligibility and weeks already taken still matter. Include earlier leave in the total used and ask the new employer to verify the record.

Can I take leave immediately after a birth or adoption?

That timing has a distinct notice deadline, and postponement protections can differ. This planner does not calculate the expected-week deadline; use the relevant official guidance and tell the employer promptly.

Is this the same as Shared Parental Leave?

No. Shared Parental Leave is a separate scheme connected to maternity or adoption leave/pay, with separate eligibility and booking steps.

Does the tool determine my legal entitlement?

No. It checks a standard timeline using the facts you enter. It cannot assess parental responsibility, employee status, continuity, exceptions, employer policy or a disputed leave history.

Are my dates saved?

The inputs are placed in the page URL so the plan can be shared; this tool does not save them to an account. Avoid sharing a link containing personal dates.

Official Parental Leave sources

Choose the official source for the jurisdiction governing your job and confirm your dates with the employer.

GOV.UK: Unpaid Parental Leave
Great Britain overview of the statutory right.
GOV.UK: Entitlement and how leave can be taken
18-week per-child entitlement and usual annual limit.
GOV.UK: Eligibility
Employee, parental responsibility and child-age conditions.
GOV.UK: Notice period
Ordinary notice and the expected-week rule.
GOV.UK: Delaying leave
When Great Britain employers may postpone leave.
nidirect: Parental Leave
Northern Ireland service, annual limit and leave-year guidance.
nidirect: Taking your parental leave
Northern Ireland process and postponement.

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Dates and allowance checks

Leave year used for the annual allowance

6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027

This uses the leave-year start entered from your employer’s policy. The current-year used-weeks figure is also supplied by you.

Standard employer notice reminder

By 10 November 2026

This reminder is 21 calendar days before the planned start. For leave immediately around birth or adoption, the separate deadline is 21 days before the expected week; this planner does not calculate that exception.

Planned block

2 week(s) from 1 December 2026 to 14 December 2026

A standard block is taken in whole weeks. Disability-related leave, a birth/adoption-week request and an employer’s more generous scheme can follow different handling.

Last day before the child turns 18

14 May 2038

The child turns 18 on 15 May 2038. Complete eligible leave before that birthday.

NI continuous-service reference

No minimum service period in the current GB eligibility guidance

The current GOV.UK eligibility guide lists no minimum service period for the GB statutory Parental Leave right.

Your unpaid Parental Leave period

Employment jurisdictionChoose the rules that govern your job.

Child’s date of birth or adoption placementUsed to show the child’s age-18 leave deadline.

Employment start dateUsed for the Northern Ireland service reference only.

Planned leave startThe standard employer-notice reminder is 21 days before this date.

Start of your employer’s leave yearUse the date in your employer’s leave-year policy.

Weeks already used for this childInclude weeks used with previous employers.

Weeks used in this employer leave year for this childEnter weeks already used in this leave year.

Weeks in the planned blockEnter whole weeks; exceptions are described below.

I am an employee

Sample only. Your inputs are placed in this URL for sharing; avoid sharing personal dates.

Unpaid Parental Leave is a separate right