Monday 20th January 2021, the government has laid regulations to implement Neonatal Care Leave and Pay.
Subject to parliamentary approval, the regulations will come into force on 6th April 2025.
The regulations implement the main provisions of the new entitlement. Specifically:
- The Neonatal Care Leave and Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations implement a new entitlement for employed parents to take up to twelve weeks leave from their job if their child receives neonatal care starting within 28 days of birth and goes on to spend seven or more continuous days in care. It also deals with a drafting correction to the Paternity, Adoption and Shared Parental Leave (Parental Order Cases) Regulations 2014 and the Maternity and Parental Leave Regulations 1999, and
- The Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (General) Regulations 2025 implement a new entitlement for employed parents, of children who receive neonatal care, and who meet certain eligibility criteria, to receive a statutory payment (paid at either the statutory flat rate of £187.18 per week for 2025/2026, or 90% of average earnings calculated over a set reference period, whichever is lower whilst absent from work).
The regulations are part of a package and will be subject to parliamentary debate before they can come into force.
Further regulations, subject to the negative resolution procedure, address the administration of the new pay entitlement, the entitlement of mariners and persons abroad and consequential amendments to secondary legislation, and will be laid in due course.
Once implemented, the entitlement will allow parents to take additional time off work when their child has received or is receiving neonatal care, ensuring they are no longer in the impossible position of having to choose between keeping their job and spending time with their baby. This will provide much needed support to parents who find themselves in this difficult position.
Over the next few months, the DBT will continue to work with to ensure that businesses and employees are aware of and prepared for these changes.
PAYadvice.UK 21/1/2025