My brother and his wife are in prison for carrying out a large fraud scheme. Their 7 and 8 year old children have been living with me for the last 4 years. I want to become their Special Guardian to look after them permanently How long will it be before I hear back from the court?

Within 10 days of receiving your application the court will send you a case number and a date for a meeting to set out:

Become a special guardian

What is a special guardian

You can apply to be a child’s special guardian when they cannot live with their birth parents and adoption is not right for them.

You’ll be responsible for looking after the child until they’re 18 (unless the court takes your responsibility away earlier).

You’ll make all day to day decisions about the child, for example schooling and medical treatment. You do not have to discuss these decisions with the birth parents.

You’ll need to get the consent of everyone who has parental responsibility for the child before you make some important decisions, for example:

changing the child’s surname

putting the child up for adoption

taking the child abroad for more than 3 months

the child having surgery for reasons other than improving health, such as circumcision, sterilisation or cosmetic surgery

If you cannot get consent, you can ask the court to decide. Use the form ‘Make an application in existing court proceedings related to children’ (form C2).

Who can apply

You can apply to be a child’s special guardian if you’re not their parent and you’re over 18.

You can make an application with someone else. This is known as a joint claim.

You and anyone you’re applying with can apply if:

you’re already the child’s legal guardian

the child lives with you because of a child arrangements order

the child has lived with you for 3 of the past 5 years

you’re the child’s relative or a foster parent, and the child has been living with you for at least 1 year

you have the agreement of anyone named in a child arrangements order as someone who the child will live with

you have the agreement of all the people with parental responsibility for the child

you have the agreement of the local council, if the child is in care

If you do not fit one of these descriptions, you’ll need to ask the court’s permission to apply. You’ll need to send the following forms to your local family court:

‘Make an application in existing court proceedings relating to children’ (form C2)

‘Family mediation and assessment meeting’ (form FM1)

Apply

You can use a family mediator to help make arrangements with the child’s family to avoid having to apply to the court.

It costs £215 to apply to the court. You may be able to get help with court fees if you’re on benefits or a low income.

Before you apply

Three months before you apply to become a special guardian you need to tell your local council in writing that you plan to make an application.

You also need to tell anyone named in existing court proceedings or orders about the child that you plan to make an application.

Applying to the court

Fill in these forms and send them to your local family court:

an ‘Application for an order’ (form C1)

a supporting statement (form C13A)

a ‘Family mediation information and assessment meeting’ form (FM1) to show you’ve been through mediation or why you could not go

Make copies of your completed forms before you send your application to the court. You’ll need to send these copies to each person affected by the application after you apply.

Find your local family court.

If you want to keep your details private

You can apply to keep your and the child’s contact details private throughout the court proceedings.

Fill in ‘Apply to keep your contact details confidential from other parties in family proceedings’ (form C8) and send it with your application.

After you apply

a timetable for your case

how it will be dealt with

This meeting is called a ‘first directions hearing’.

You must go to all hearings you’re told to unless the court excuses you. If you’re not able to go, contact the court office.

Contact people in the child’s life

You must send the date and location of the hearing along with copies of your application to everyone with parental responsibility for the child.

If there is a current care order about the child, you should also send details of the hearing and copies of your application to:

everyone you believe had parental responsibility before the current court-made care order

the court-appointed Cafcass children’s guardian

You must also tell the following people and organisations that you’ve applied:

the children’s services department of your local council or the council local to where the child is staying, if that is different

everyone who cares for the child

the home where the child stays if it is a registered children’s home or a voluntary home and it is a refuge

everyone the child has lived with for at least 3 years before you made the application

anyone else named in a current court order

anyone involved in any other ongoing proceedings that might be affected by your application

The final hearing

The court will decide if a special guardianship order is in the best interests of the child after looking at all the evidence, and in some cases, hearing from witnesses.

If the court agrees, they will send the final order to you and the other people involved in the case, including the birth parents.

Financial help for special guardians

You might be able to get a special guardian allowance from the children’s services department of your local council.


Me and my partner have been trying for a child for the past few years however with no luck. We have now decided we would like to adopt a child. Are there any age requirements for the adopter when adopting a child in the UK?

You may be able to adopt a child if you’re aged 21 or over (there’s no upper age limit) and either:

Child adoption

Overview

To be adopted, a child must:

be under the age of 18 when the adoption application is made

not be (or have never been) married or in a civil partnership

The child’s birth parents

Both birth parents normally have to agree (consent) to the adoption, unless:

they cannot be found

they’re incapable of giving consent, for example due to a mental disability

the child would be put at risk if they were not adopted

Who can adopt a child

single

married

in a civil partnership

an unmarried couple (same sex and opposite sex)

the partner of the child’s parent

There are different rules for private adoptions and adoptions of looked-after children.

Living in the UK

You do not have to be a British citizen to adopt a child, but:

you (or your partner, if you’re a couple) must have a fixed and permanent home in the UK, Channel Islands or the Isle of Man

you (and your partner, if you’re a couple) must have lived in the UK for at least 1 year before you begin the application process

Adoption Support Fund

You may be able to get funding from the Adoption Support Fund. It provides money for therapy for children and families to help improve relationships, confidence and behaviour. Your social worker can apply for you.

If you’re not happy with how the social worker has handled the application, complain to the council. If you’re not happy with the council’s response, contact the Adoption Support Fund team.

Early stages of adoption

To adopt a child you can go through either:

an adoption agency that’s part of your local council

a voluntary adoption agency

The adoption process

Contact an adoption agency - they’ll send you information about the adoption process.

The agency will arrange to meet you - you may also be invited to a meeting with other people wanting to adopt a child.

If you and the agency agree to carry on, the agency will give you an application form.

The adoption approval process normally takes around 6 months. You will then be matched with a child for adoption.

Adoption assessment

Once the agency gets your application it will do the following:

Invite you to a series of preparation classes - these are normally held locally and give advice on the effect adoption may have on you.

Arrange for a social worker to visit you on several occasions to carry out an assessment - this is to check you’re suitable to become an adoptive parent.

Arrange a police check - you will not be allowed to adopt if you, or an adult member of your family, have been convicted of a serious offence, for example against a child.

Ask you to provide the names of 3 referees who will give you a personal reference. One of your referees can be a relative.

Arrange for you to have a full medical examination.

Your assessment

The social worker will send the assessment report to an independent adoption panel. This is a group of people who are experienced in adoption.

The panel will make a recommendation to the adoption agency based on your assessment.

You can go along to ask questions and answer any questions the panel has.

The adoption panel will send their recommendation to the agency, which will then decide whether you’re suitable to adopt a child.

If you can adopt a child

Once your agency decides you can adopt, they’ll begin the process of finding a child. The agency will explain how the process works and how you can be involved.

If you live in Wales your agency can refer you to the National Adoption Service for Wales. This holds details of children across Wales who need adopting.

If an adoption agency says you cannot adopt

If you disagree with an adoption agency’s decision, you can either:

challenge their decision by writing to them

apply to the Independent Review Mechanism, which will look into your case

You can also contact other adoption agencies - but you’ll have to start the process again.

Applying for an adoption court order

To make an adoption legal, you need to apply for an adoption court order. This gives you parental rights and responsibilities for the child.

The child must have lived with you for at least 10 weeks before you apply.

Once the order has been granted:

the adoption becomes permanent

the child has the same rights as if they were your own birth child, for example the right of inheritance

you can buy a copy of the adoption certificate - you will not get this automatically

The order also takes away parental responsibility from:

the child’s birth parent(s)

anyone else who has parental responsibility for the child

How to apply

Most applications for adoption orders are done at a Family Court.

You need to send the court a completed application for an adoption order - Form A58.

Getting an adoption certificate

If your application is successful, the General Register Office will create an adoption certificate. This replaces the original birth certificate, and shows the child’s new name.

If you want a copy of the new certificate you need to buy one - you will not get it automatically.

A ‘full’ copy of the certificate costs £11. You can order one:

online

by post

You need the full version for most legal tasks for your child, for example getting a passport.

Adopting a child you’ve been fostering

You need to be reassessed and approved as adoptive parents if you want to adopt the child you’ve been fostering.

Adopting a stepchild

You need to tell your local council if you want to adopt your spouse’s or partner’s child. You must do this at least 3 months before applying to a court for an adoption order.

The child must also have lived with both of you for at least 6 months.

The adoption assessment

The process to adopt is similar to an assessment through an adoption agency.

The assessment is used to help a court decide if you can adopt the child (rather than being sent to an independent adoption panel).

The court will ask your local council to provide a report on:

your partner

the child

the other birth parent

The report will be prepared by a social worker and will be used to help the court make a decision.

If granted, the adoption court order gives you parental responsibility for the child - along with your spouse or partner.

the child’s other birth parent

An adoption order cancels any other type of court order, such as how and when the child’s birth parent can visit the child.

Adopting a child from overseas

You can adopt a child from overseas if:

they cannot be cared for in a safe environment in their own country

the adoption would be in their best interests

the adopter has been assessed as eligible and suitable to adopt from overseas by an adoption agency in the UK

If you want to adopt a child from overseas, you should contact a UK adoption agency through:

your local council in England and Wales

your local health and social care trust in Northern Ireland

a voluntary adoption agency that deals with overseas adoption

There is a different process for overseas adoption in Scotland.

The adoption process is similar to a UK adoption and will be done by a UK adoption agency that may charge a fee.

If you’re assessed and approved as suitable to adopt a child by a UK adoption agency, they will let you know what you need to do and guide you through these steps.

Your application will be sent to the Department for Education (DfE) or your relevant UK Central Authority to check it meets eligibility criteria.

DfE or your relevant UK Central Authority will issue a Certificate of Eligibility to Adopt and send it with your adoption application to the relevant overseas authority – some countries require adoption applications and supporting documentation is notarised, legalised and translated.

Once matched, you need to visit the child in their own country and confirm in writing that you’ve visited them and want to proceed with the adoption.

You may need to go through adoption court processes in the country you’re adopting from and the UK.

Once the placement has been finalised, you will need to arrange entry clearance for the child to enter the UK.

Fees

The DfE charges a non-refundable fee of £1,975 for processing an application to adopt a child from overseas. The fee is exempt from VAT.

You’ll be contacted by DfE about how to pay the fee once your application has been accepted.

The fee includes case management but does not include legalisation, notarisation or translation costs.

Contact the relevant authority to find out about fees and procedures in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Restrictions

The UK has restricted adoption from the following countries:

Cambodia

Guatemala

Nepal

Haiti

Ethiopia

Nigeria

You can read about the reasons for the restrictions for each country.

How to make an exception request

If you want to adopt a child from a restricted country, you will need to set out the reasons in writing why your case is exceptional (for example, adopting a family member) and provide supporting evidence. Find out how to make an exception request to adopt a child from a country on the restricted list.

You’ll need to follow a different process for dealing with restricted countries in Scotland. Contact the Scottish Government for enquiries about restrictions in Scotland.

If you live abroad

You must follow the adoption laws of the country you’re in if you’re normally resident in that country and want to adopt.

You must follow UK adoption law if you’re normally resident in the UK, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands. This is sometimes called ‘habitual residence’ and can apply even if you’re living abroad at the time of the adoption. If you’re unsure of your residence status, you should get your own independent legal advice before proceeding with an adoption.

You may have to give a sworn statement in front of a solicitor that you’re no longer habitually resident in the UK, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands if the country asks for a ‘no objection’ letter from the UK government. You must send this statement, along with a copy of your passport, either to the Intercountry Adoption Team at the DfE or the nearest British embassy.

If you’ve adopted a child – either in the UK or overseas - and then travel or move to a third country, the adoption may not be recognised in that country. If you have any doubts you should get independent legal advice.

Registering an adoption

You can apply to register an overseas adoption in the Adopted Child Register for England and Wales if:

the adoption took place in certain overseas countries

the parent or parents were habitually resident in England and Wales at the time of the adoption

the parent or parents can provide all the supporting documents

You should read the guidance notes before filling in the form to register with the General Register Office (GRO).

Birth parents: your rights

For another couple (or person) to adopt your child, you normally have to agree to it.

Once your child is adopted, you no longer have parental responsibility for them.

Depending on the child’s situation, you may be able to stay in contact with them. This is often done using letters and photographs (and sometimes meetings) through the agency responsible for arranging the adoption.

Fathers’ rights

As the child’s father you’ll be asked to agree to the adoption - but only if you have parental responsibility.

If you were never married to the child’s mother or named on the birth certificate, you can apply to the court for a Parental Responsibility Order to get parental responsibility.

Trying to stop the adoption process

If the adoption process has started, you should get legal advice from a solicitor or Citizens Advice.

To make an adoption legal, a court has to grant a court order.

The agency arranging the adoption must let you know what your rights are - and also at what point the adoption cannot be stopped.

If you do not want your child to be adopted, a court will give you the chance to say why. A social worker, independent of the adoption agency, will visit you and:

record the reasons you do not want your child adopted

let the court know these reasons - you can go to court to explain them

An adoption order cannot be made unless the court thinks it’s in your child’s best interests.

Adoption without your consent

A court can decide the adoption can go ahead without your consent if:

it thinks the child would be put at risk if they were not adopted - it will send you the evidence they have been given, for example from social services

you’re incapable of giving consent, for example due to a mental disability


I am a guardian to a 16year old teenage boy from syria whom i cared for when he was young and homeless. I want to change his surname to to mine. Can I apply to change his surname to mine?

You’ll need to get the consent of everyone who has parental responsibility for the child before you make some important decisions, for example:

Become a special guardian

What is a special guardian

You can apply to be a child’s special guardian when they cannot live with their birth parents and adoption is not right for them.

You’ll be responsible for looking after the child until they’re 18 (unless the court takes your responsibility away earlier).

You’ll make all day to day decisions about the child, for example schooling and medical treatment. You do not have to discuss these decisions with the birth parents.

changing the child’s surname

putting the child up for adoption

taking the child abroad for more than 3 months

the child having surgery for reasons other than improving health, such as circumcision, sterilisation or cosmetic surgery

If you cannot get consent, you can ask the court to decide. Use the form ‘Make an application in existing court proceedings related to children’ (form C2).

Who can apply

You can apply to be a child’s special guardian if you’re not their parent and you’re over 18.

You can make an application with someone else. This is known as a joint claim.

You and anyone you’re applying with can apply if:

you’re already the child’s legal guardian

the child lives with you because of a child arrangements order

the child has lived with you for 3 of the past 5 years

you’re the child’s relative or a foster parent, and the child has been living with you for at least 1 year

you have the agreement of anyone named in a child arrangements order as someone who the child will live with

you have the agreement of all the people with parental responsibility for the child

you have the agreement of the local council, if the child is in care

If you do not fit one of these descriptions, you’ll need to ask the court’s permission to apply. You’ll need to send the following forms to your local family court:

‘Make an application in existing court proceedings relating to children’ (form C2)

‘Family mediation and assessment meeting’ (form FM1)

Apply

You can use a family mediator to help make arrangements with the child’s family to avoid having to apply to the court.

It costs £215 to apply to the court. You may be able to get help with court fees if you’re on benefits or a low income.

Before you apply

Three months before you apply to become a special guardian you need to tell your local council in writing that you plan to make an application.

You also need to tell anyone named in existing court proceedings or orders about the child that you plan to make an application.

Applying to the court

Fill in these forms and send them to your local family court:

an ‘Application for an order’ (form C1)

a supporting statement (form C13A)

a ‘Family mediation information and assessment meeting’ form (FM1) to show you’ve been through mediation or why you could not go

Make copies of your completed forms before you send your application to the court. You’ll need to send these copies to each person affected by the application after you apply.

Find your local family court.

If you want to keep your details private

You can apply to keep your and the child’s contact details private throughout the court proceedings.

Fill in ‘Apply to keep your contact details confidential from other parties in family proceedings’ (form C8) and send it with your application.

After you apply

Within 10 days of receiving your application the court will send you a case number and a date for a meeting to set out:

a timetable for your case

how it will be dealt with

This meeting is called a ‘first directions hearing’.

You must go to all hearings you’re told to unless the court excuses you. If you’re not able to go, contact the court office.

Contact people in the child’s life

You must send the date and location of the hearing along with copies of your application to everyone with parental responsibility for the child.

If there is a current care order about the child, you should also send details of the hearing and copies of your application to:

everyone you believe had parental responsibility before the current court-made care order

the court-appointed Cafcass children’s guardian

You must also tell the following people and organisations that you’ve applied:

the children’s services department of your local council or the council local to where the child is staying, if that is different

everyone who cares for the child

the home where the child stays if it is a registered children’s home or a voluntary home and it is a refuge

everyone the child has lived with for at least 3 years before you made the application

anyone else named in a current court order

anyone involved in any other ongoing proceedings that might be affected by your application

The final hearing

The court will decide if a special guardianship order is in the best interests of the child after looking at all the evidence, and in some cases, hearing from witnesses.

If the court agrees, they will send the final order to you and the other people involved in the case, including the birth parents.

Financial help for special guardians

You might be able to get a special guardian allowance from the children’s services department of your local council.

changing the child’s surname

Become a special guardian

What is a special guardian

changing the child’s surname

putting the child up for adoption

taking the child abroad for more than 3 months

Who can apply

You can apply to be a child’s special guardian if you’re not their parent and you’re over 18.

You can make an application with someone else. This is known as a joint claim.

You and anyone you’re applying with can apply if:

you’re already the child’s legal guardian

the child lives with you because of a child arrangements order

the child has lived with you for 3 of the past 5 years

you’re the child’s relative or a foster parent, and the child has been living with you for at least 1 year

you have the agreement of anyone named in a child arrangements order as someone who the child will live with

you have the agreement of all the people with parental responsibility for the child

you have the agreement of the local council, if the child is in care

‘Make an application in existing court proceedings relating to children’ (form C2)

‘Family mediation and assessment meeting’ (form FM1)

Apply

Before you apply

Applying to the court

Fill in these forms and send them to your local family court:

an ‘Application for an order’ (form C1)

a supporting statement (form C13A)

Find your local family court.

If you want to keep your details private

You can apply to keep your and the child’s contact details private throughout the court proceedings.

After you apply

a timetable for your case

how it will be dealt with

This meeting is called a ‘first directions hearing’.

Contact people in the child’s life

everyone you believe had parental responsibility before the current court-made care order

the court-appointed Cafcass children’s guardian

You must also tell the following people and organisations that you’ve applied:

everyone who cares for the child

the home where the child stays if it is a registered children’s home or a voluntary home and it is a refuge

everyone the child has lived with for at least 3 years before you made the application

anyone else named in a current court order

anyone involved in any other ongoing proceedings that might be affected by your application

The final hearing

Financial help for special guardians

You might be able to get a special guardian allowance from the children’s services department of your local council.

Become a special guardian

What is a special guardian

changing the child’s surname

putting the child up for adoption

taking the child abroad for more than 3 months

Who can apply

You can apply to be a child’s special guardian if you’re not their parent and you’re over 18.

You can make an application with someone else. This is known as a joint claim.

You and anyone you’re applying with can apply if:

you’re already the child’s legal guardian

the child lives with you because of a child arrangements order

the child has lived with you for 3 of the past 5 years

you’re the child’s relative or a foster parent, and the child has been living with you for at least 1 year

you have the agreement of anyone named in a child arrangements order as someone who the child will live with

you have the agreement of all the people with parental responsibility for the child

you have the agreement of the local council, if the child is in care

‘Make an application in existing court proceedings relating to children’ (form C2)

‘Family mediation and assessment meeting’ (form FM1)

Apply

Before you apply

Applying to the court

Fill in these forms and send them to your local family court:

an ‘Application for an order’ (form C1)

a supporting statement (form C13A)

Find your local family court.

If you want to keep your details private

You can apply to keep your and the child’s contact details private throughout the court proceedings.

After you apply

a timetable for your case

how it will be dealt with

This meeting is called a ‘first directions hearing’.

Contact people in the child’s life

everyone you believe had parental responsibility before the current court-made care order

the court-appointed Cafcass children’s guardian

You must also tell the following people and organisations that you’ve applied:

everyone who cares for the child

the home where the child stays if it is a registered children’s home or a voluntary home and it is a refuge

everyone the child has lived with for at least 3 years before you made the application

anyone else named in a current court order

anyone involved in any other ongoing proceedings that might be affected by your application

The final hearing

Financial help for special guardians

You might be able to get a special guardian allowance from the children’s services department of your local council.


As a vulnerable adult I received the Covid-19 vaccination in January 2021. Almost immediately I started to feel very unwell, and over the next few weeks the left side of my face became paralysed, almost like I had had a stroke. I am now unable to talk properly. Can I claim off the government for damage caused by the vaccine?

If you’re severely disabled as a result of a vaccination against certain diseases, you could get a one-off tax-free payment of £120,000. This is called a Vaccine Damage Payment.

Vaccine Damage Payment

Overview

Effect on benefits you receive

A Vaccine Damage Payment can affect benefits and entitlements like:

Income Support

Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

Working Tax Credit

Child Tax Credit

Universal Credit

Pension Credit

Housing Benefit

Council Tax Reduction

Employment and Support Allowance

The effect the payment will have depends on a number of things. This includes the payment being put into a trust and the payments being made from it.

You should let the office that deals with your benefit or tax credit claim know if you’ve got a Vaccine Damage Payment. You can get contact details from letters they have sent you.

What you'll get

A Vaccine Damage Payment is a tax free one-off payment of £120,000.

How you’re paid

You’ll get payment direct to you or, if you’re under 18 or cannot manage your own affairs, payment will be made to trustees.

If you live with your family, your parents may be appointed as trustees.

All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into an account, for example your bank account.

Eligibility

You could get a payment if you’re severely disabled and your disability was caused by vaccination against any of the following diseases:

coronavirus (COVID-19)

diphtheria

haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)

human papillomavirus

influenza, except for influenza caused by a pandemic influenza virus

measles

meningococcal group B (meningitis B)

meningococcal group C (meningitis C)

meningococcal group W (meningitis W)

mumps

pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 (swine flu) - up to 31 August 2010

pertussis (whooping cough)

pneumococcal infection

poliomyelitis

rotavirus

rubella (German measles)

smallpox - up to 1 August 1971

tetanus

tuberculosis (TB)

You may have had a combined vaccination against a number of the diseases listed. For example, you might have been vaccinated against DTP (diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis) or MMR (measles, mumps and rubella).

You may also be able to get a payment if you’re severely disabled because either:

your mother was vaccinated against one of the diseases in the list while she was pregnant

you’ve been in close physical contact with someone who’s had an oral vaccine against poliomyelitis

What counts as ‘severely disabled’

Disablement is worked out as a percentage, and ‘severe disablement’ means at least 60% disabled.

This could be a mental or physical disablement and will be based on medical evidence from the doctors or hospitals involved in your treatment.

When and where the vaccination must have taken place

You must normally have been vaccinated before your 18th birthday, unless the vaccination was during an outbreak of disease in the UK or the Isle of Man, or it was against:

coronavirus (COVID-19)

poliomyelitis

rubella

meningococcal group C

human papillomavirus

pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 (swine flu)

meningococcal group W before your 26th birthday

influenza

The vaccination must have been given in the UK or the Isle of Man, unless you were vaccinated as part of your armed forces medical treatment.

How to claim

Apply by filling out a claim form. If you’re under 16, your parent or guardian should claim on your behalf.

Send it to:

You can also contact the Vaccine Damage Payments Unit to ask for a claim form:

Time limits on making a claim

You can only claim for a child once they are 2 years old.

To claim for an adult, apply by whichever is the latest of the following dates:

on or before their 21st birthday (or if they’ve died, the date they would have reached 21)

within 6 years of the vaccination

If you disagree with a decision

You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for ‘mandatory reversal’

If the decision was made after 27 October 2013

Write to the Vaccine Damage Payments Unit. You must:

explain why you think the decision is wrong

include any new evidence to support your application - only include evidence you have not already sent

You need to include:

the date of the original payment decision

your name and address

your date of birth

your National Insurance number

If the decision was made on or before 27 October 2013

Contact the Vaccine Damage Payments Unit for advice on challenging the decision.

What happens next

The original decision will be reviewed. The Department for Work and Pensions will send you a new decision if they think it should be changed.

If they do not think the decision should be changed, you’ll get a ‘mandatory reversal notice’ that will explain the reasons why. This will include the information you need to be able to appeal.

If you disagree with the outcome

You can ask for mandatory reversal again - there’s no limit on the number of times you can make this request, and no time limit.

You can also appeal to the Social Security and Child Support Tribunal. The tribunal is impartial and independent of government.

There is no time limit for requesting an appeal.

Download and fill in form SSCS1 and send it to the address on the form.

You’ll need to choose whether you want to go to the tribunal hearing to explain your case. If you do not attend, your appeal will be decided on your appeal form and any supporting evidence.

After you submit your appeal, you can provide evidence. Your appeal and the evidence will be discussed at a hearing by a judge and one or two experts, for example a doctor. The judge will then make a decision.

It usually takes around 6 months for for your appeal to be heard by the tribunal.

Vaccine Damage Payment

Overview

Effect on benefits you receive

A Vaccine Damage Payment can affect benefits and entitlements like:

Income Support

Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

Working Tax Credit

Child Tax Credit

Universal Credit

Pension Credit

Housing Benefit

Council Tax Reduction

Employment and Support Allowance

What you'll get

A Vaccine Damage Payment is a tax free one-off payment of £120,000.

How you’re paid

If you live with your family, your parents may be appointed as trustees.

All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into an account, for example your bank account.

Eligibility

coronavirus (COVID-19)

diphtheria

haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)

human papillomavirus

influenza, except for influenza caused by a pandemic influenza virus

measles

meningococcal group B (meningitis B)

meningococcal group C (meningitis C)

meningococcal group W (meningitis W)

mumps

pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 (swine flu) - up to 31 August 2010

pertussis (whooping cough)

pneumococcal infection

poliomyelitis

rotavirus

rubella (German measles)

smallpox - up to 1 August 1971

tetanus

tuberculosis (TB)

You may also be able to get a payment if you’re severely disabled because either:

your mother was vaccinated against one of the diseases in the list while she was pregnant

you’ve been in close physical contact with someone who’s had an oral vaccine against poliomyelitis

What counts as ‘severely disabled’

Disablement is worked out as a percentage, and ‘severe disablement’ means at least 60% disabled.

When and where the vaccination must have taken place

coronavirus (COVID-19)

poliomyelitis

rubella

meningococcal group C

human papillomavirus

pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 (swine flu)

meningococcal group W before your 26th birthday

influenza

How to claim

Send it to:

You can also contact the Vaccine Damage Payments Unit to ask for a claim form:

Time limits on making a claim

You can only claim for a child once they are 2 years old.

To claim for an adult, apply by whichever is the latest of the following dates:

on or before their 21st birthday (or if they’ve died, the date they would have reached 21)

within 6 years of the vaccination

If you disagree with a decision

You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for ‘mandatory reversal’

If the decision was made after 27 October 2013

Write to the Vaccine Damage Payments Unit. You must:

explain why you think the decision is wrong

include any new evidence to support your application - only include evidence you have not already sent

You need to include:

the date of the original payment decision

your name and address

your date of birth

your National Insurance number

If the decision was made on or before 27 October 2013

Contact the Vaccine Damage Payments Unit for advice on challenging the decision.

What happens next

If you disagree with the outcome

There is no time limit for requesting an appeal.

Download and fill in form SSCS1 and send it to the address on the form.

It usually takes around 6 months for for your appeal to be heard by the tribunal.

coronavirus (COVID-19)

Vaccine Damage Payment

Overview

Effect on benefits you receive

A Vaccine Damage Payment can affect benefits and entitlements like:

Income Support

Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

Working Tax Credit

Child Tax Credit

Universal Credit

Pension Credit

Housing Benefit

Council Tax Reduction

Employment and Support Allowance

What you'll get

A Vaccine Damage Payment is a tax free one-off payment of £120,000.

How you’re paid

If you live with your family, your parents may be appointed as trustees.

All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into an account, for example your bank account.

Eligibility

coronavirus (COVID-19)

diphtheria

haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)

human papillomavirus

influenza, except for influenza caused by a pandemic influenza virus

measles

meningococcal group B (meningitis B)

meningococcal group C (meningitis C)

meningococcal group W (meningitis W)

mumps

pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 (swine flu) - up to 31 August 2010

pertussis (whooping cough)

pneumococcal infection

poliomyelitis

rotavirus

rubella (German measles)

smallpox - up to 1 August 1971

tetanus

tuberculosis (TB)

You may also be able to get a payment if you’re severely disabled because either:

your mother was vaccinated against one of the diseases in the list while she was pregnant

you’ve been in close physical contact with someone who’s had an oral vaccine against poliomyelitis

What counts as ‘severely disabled’

Disablement is worked out as a percentage, and ‘severe disablement’ means at least 60% disabled.

When and where the vaccination must have taken place

coronavirus (COVID-19)

poliomyelitis

rubella

meningococcal group C

human papillomavirus

pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 (swine flu)

meningococcal group W before your 26th birthday

influenza

How to claim

Send it to:

You can also contact the Vaccine Damage Payments Unit to ask for a claim form:

Time limits on making a claim

You can only claim for a child once they are 2 years old.

To claim for an adult, apply by whichever is the latest of the following dates:

on or before their 21st birthday (or if they’ve died, the date they would have reached 21)

within 6 years of the vaccination

If you disagree with a decision

You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for ‘mandatory reversal’

If the decision was made after 27 October 2013

Write to the Vaccine Damage Payments Unit. You must:

explain why you think the decision is wrong

include any new evidence to support your application - only include evidence you have not already sent

You need to include:

the date of the original payment decision

your name and address

your date of birth

your National Insurance number

If the decision was made on or before 27 October 2013

Contact the Vaccine Damage Payments Unit for advice on challenging the decision.

What happens next

If you disagree with the outcome

There is no time limit for requesting an appeal.

Download and fill in form SSCS1 and send it to the address on the form.

It usually takes around 6 months for for your appeal to be heard by the tribunal.

Disablement is worked out as a percentage, and ‘severe disablement’ means at least 60% disabled.

Vaccine Damage Payment

Overview

Effect on benefits you receive

A Vaccine Damage Payment can affect benefits and entitlements like:

Income Support

Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

Working Tax Credit

Child Tax Credit

Universal Credit

Pension Credit

Housing Benefit

Council Tax Reduction

Employment and Support Allowance

What you'll get

A Vaccine Damage Payment is a tax free one-off payment of £120,000.

How you’re paid

If you live with your family, your parents may be appointed as trustees.

All benefits, pensions and allowances are paid into an account, for example your bank account.

Eligibility

coronavirus (COVID-19)

diphtheria

haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)

human papillomavirus

influenza, except for influenza caused by a pandemic influenza virus

measles

meningococcal group B (meningitis B)

meningococcal group C (meningitis C)

meningococcal group W (meningitis W)

mumps

pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 (swine flu) - up to 31 August 2010

pertussis (whooping cough)

pneumococcal infection

poliomyelitis

rotavirus

rubella (German measles)

smallpox - up to 1 August 1971

tetanus

tuberculosis (TB)

You may also be able to get a payment if you’re severely disabled because either:

your mother was vaccinated against one of the diseases in the list while she was pregnant

you’ve been in close physical contact with someone who’s had an oral vaccine against poliomyelitis

What counts as ‘severely disabled’

When and where the vaccination must have taken place

coronavirus (COVID-19)

poliomyelitis

rubella

meningococcal group C

human papillomavirus

pandemic influenza A (H1N1) 2009 (swine flu)

meningococcal group W before your 26th birthday

influenza

How to claim

Send it to:

You can also contact the Vaccine Damage Payments Unit to ask for a claim form:

Time limits on making a claim

You can only claim for a child once they are 2 years old.

To claim for an adult, apply by whichever is the latest of the following dates:

on or before their 21st birthday (or if they’ve died, the date they would have reached 21)

within 6 years of the vaccination

If you disagree with a decision

You can challenge a decision about your claim. This is called asking for ‘mandatory reversal’

If the decision was made after 27 October 2013

Write to the Vaccine Damage Payments Unit. You must:

explain why you think the decision is wrong

include any new evidence to support your application - only include evidence you have not already sent

You need to include:

the date of the original payment decision

your name and address

your date of birth

your National Insurance number

If the decision was made on or before 27 October 2013

Contact the Vaccine Damage Payments Unit for advice on challenging the decision.

What happens next

If you disagree with the outcome

There is no time limit for requesting an appeal.

Download and fill in form SSCS1 and send it to the address on the form.

It usually takes around 6 months for for your appeal to be heard by the tribunal.


I recently inherited my childhood home in Sussex following the death of my father. For sentimental reasons, and because it is bigger than my current home, I would like to move into it with my family. This would mean either selling or renting out my current home. I know that you don't have to pay capital gains tax when you sell your own home, but I'm not clear whether my current home would be classed as my main home if I move into the other property. Will I pay capital gains tax if I sell my current home in order to move into an inherited property?

You don’t pay Capital Gains Tax when you sell your home. You do pay it if you make a profit when you sell a property that isn’t your main home.

Tax on property, money and shares you inherit

Overview

You don’t usually pay tax on anything you inherit at the time you inherit it.

You may need to pay:

Income Tax on profit you later earn from your inheritance, eg dividends from shares or rental income from a property

Capital Gains Tax if you later sell shares or a property you inherited

Inheritance Tax

Inheritance Tax

The estate of the person who died usually pays Inheritance Tax. You may need to pay Inheritance Tax if the estate can’t or doesn’t pay it.

You may need to pay Inheritance Tax on a gift the person gave you in the 7 years before they died.

You may also need to pay it if your inheritance is put into a trust and the trust can’t or doesn’t pay.

If the will says the Inheritance Tax should be paid out of the assets you’ve inherited, the executor of the will or administrator of the estate will usually pay it.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will contact you if you need to pay.

Money and shares

In most cases you don’t pay any tax on money and shares when you inherit them.

Inheritance Tax

You may have to pay Inheritance Tax on money and shares you inherit if the deceased person’s estate can’t or doesn’t pay.

Any money or shares the person gave you before they died are known as gifts and have different rules.

Income Tax

You may have to pay Income Tax on:

interest you earn from money you inherit

dividends paid on shares you inherit

Capital Gains Tax

You’ll have to pay Capital Gains Tax if you sell (‘dispose of’) inherited shares that have gone up in value since the person died.

Property

You don’t pay Stamp Duty, Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax on a property you inherit when you inherit it.

You may have to pay Inheritance Tax if the deceased’s estate can’t or doesn’t pay it.

The rules are different in Scotland.

Selling the property

If inheriting a property means you own 2 homes, you’ll have to nominate one of them as your main home. You must tell HMRC which property is your main home within 2 years of inheriting the property.

If you don’t tell HMRC and you sell one of the properties, they’ll decide which property was your main home.

Renting out the property

You may have to pay tax on the rental income.

Properties held in trust

Usually if you inherit property held in a trust, you are the ‘beneficiary’ and the trustees are the legal owners and responsible for paying tax on income the trust receives.

You may still have to pay tax on any income you receive from the trust.

Bare trusts

If the trust is a ‘bare trust’ you are both the beneficiary and the legal owner and are responsible for paying tax on income the trust receives.

Joint property, shares and bank accounts

In most cases, you don’t have to pay any Stamp Duty or tax when you inherit property, shares or the money in joint bank accounts you owned with the deceased.

Inheritance Tax

What you pay will depend on how you owned the shares or property or how your bank accounts were set up.

If you and the deceased jointly owned the assets, you’ll be known as ‘joint tenants’ (‘joint owners’ in Scotland).

If you each owned a part of the assets, you’ll be known as ‘tenants in common’ (‘common owners’ in Scotland and ‘coparceners’ in Northern Ireland). Each part could be half or an agreed percentage of the money, shares or property.

Check with your bank if you’re not sure how the money in your account(s) was divided up.

Joint tenants

You automatically inherit anything you owned as ‘joint tenants’.

You may have to pay Inheritance Tax if the whole of the deceased’s estate (all their money, property and possessions) is worth more than the Inheritance Tax threshold of £325,000 and the deceased’s estate can’t or doesn’t pay.

Tenants in common

You may have to pay Inheritance Tax on the deceased’s share of the money in bank accounts, shares or property if the whole of their estate (money, property and possessions) is worth more than the Inheritance Tax threshold of £325,000.

If the deceased left you their share of the money, shares or property in their will, the executor of the will or administrator of their estate should pay the Inheritance Tax out of the estate.

But if the estate doesn’t have enough money to pay the Inheritance Tax on the deceased’s share of the assets, or the executor doesn’t pay, you’ll have to pay it. You may have to sell the shares or property to pay the tax and any other debts.

You may have to tell the Land Registry about the death of one of the property’s owners.

Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax

You may have to pay other taxes on anything you earn or profits you make from:

bank interest

share dividends

property

Overview

You may need to pay:

Inheritance Tax

Inheritance Tax

Money and shares

Inheritance Tax

Income Tax

You may have to pay Income Tax on:

interest you earn from money you inherit

dividends paid on shares you inherit

Capital Gains Tax

Property

The rules are different in Scotland.

Selling the property

Renting out the property

You may have to pay tax on the rental income.

Properties held in trust

Bare trusts

Joint property, shares and bank accounts

Inheritance Tax

Joint tenants

You automatically inherit anything you owned as ‘joint tenants’.

Tenants in common

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will contact you if you need to pay.

Income Tax and Capital Gains Tax

bank interest

share dividends

property


I work for a large company as an employee and I have recently experienced a stillbirth at 30 weeks pregnant. I would like my live in partner to have some leave to support me. Can my partner take leave from work due to my stillbirth even though he is not the biological parent of the child?

You and your partner may be able to take time off work if your child dies before they turn 18, or if you have a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave

Overview

The death or stillbirth must have happened on or after 6 April 2020.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

You might be able to get leave, pay or both. You may be eligible for:

Parental Bereavement Leave

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

There’s rules about when you can take your leave and pay and how to claim.

You can only claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave if you’re employed in England, Scotland or Wales.

Employment rights when on leave

Your employment rights are protected while on Parental Bereavement Leave. This includes your right to:

pay rises

build up (‘accrue’) holiday

return to work

What you can get

You may be able to get either or both Parental Bereavement Leave and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay.

Parental Bereavement Leave

You can take 2 weeks’ leave from the first day of your employment for each child who has died or was stillborn if you’re eligible.

You can take:

2 weeks together

2 separate weeks of leave

only one week of leave

A week is the same number of days that you normally work in a week.

The leave:

can start on or after the date of the death or stillbirth

must finish within 56 weeks of the date of the death or stillbirth

Taking leave with other types of statutory leave

If you’re taking another type of statutory leave (for example, maternity leave or paternity leave) when the child dies or stillbirth happens, your Parental Bereavement Leave must start after the other leave has ended but does not have to be taken immediately after. This includes if the statutory leave is for another child.

If your Parental Bereavement Leave is interrupted by the start of another type of statutory leave, you can take your remaining entitlement to Parental Bereavement Leave after that other leave has ended.

Your remaining Parental Bereavement Leave must still be taken within 56 weeks of the date of death or stillbirth.

You can take Parental Bereavement Leave between blocks of shared parental leave that you booked before the child died. This includes if the shared parental leave is for another child.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You’ll be able to get either £151.97 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) if you’re eligible.

Any money you get is paid the same way as your wages, for example weekly or monthly, along with deductions for tax and National Insurance.

Check if you're eligible

To qualify for Parental Bereavement Leave and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay, you must meet the criteria both as a parent (including if you had day to day responsibility) and an employee. You might not be eligible for both, depending on your circumstances.

If you were the child’s parent or a parent’s partner

You may be eligible if at the time of the child’s death or stillbirth, you were:

the child or baby’s parent - either biological, adoptive or parent of a child born to a surrogate

the partner of the child or baby’s parent

Biological parents of the child or baby will not be eligible for Parental Bereavement Leave and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay after an adoption or parental order was made, unless there was a contact order in place.

If you or your partner had day to day responsibility for the child

You may be eligible if both of the following apply:

the child or baby was living with you at your home for 4 continuous weeks, ending with the date of death

you or your partner had day to day responsibility for the child or baby’s care during that time

If you or your partner were being paid to look after the child or baby, you do not qualify for leave or pay unless you were:

a foster parent being paid a fee or allowance by a local authority

reimbursed for expenses related to caring for the child or baby

getting payments under the terms of a will or trust for the child or baby’s care

You are not eligible if one of the child or baby’s parents or someone who had parental responsibility (parental responsibilities in Scotland) for the child was also living in the household.

If you or your partner were an adoptive parent

You are eligible for pay or leave:

after the adoption order was granted

before the adoption order was made, if the child was placed with you and the placement was not disrupted (for example, being temporarily placed elsewhere) or stopped

If you or your partner were an adoptive parent of a child from outside the United Kingdom

If you or your partner were adopting a child from outside the United Kingdom and the adoption order had not yet been made, you may still be eligible. Both of the following must apply:

the child was living with you after entering Great Britain

you have the ‘official notification’ confirming you were allowed to adopt

If you or your partner had a baby with the help of a surrogate parent

You are eligible for pay or leave:

after a parental order was made

before a parental order was made if you had applied or intended to apply for a parental order within 6 months of the child’s birth and expected it to be granted

Parental Bereavement Leave

To get Parental Bereavement Leave, you must also:

be classed as an employee - it does not matter how long you’ve worked for your employer

give your employer notice for Parental Bereavement Leave

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

To get Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay, you must have been continuously employed by your employer for at least 26 weeks up to the end of the ‘relevant week’. The ‘relevant week’ is the week (ending with a Saturday) immediately before the week of the death or stillbirth.

You must also:

continue to be employed up to the day the child dies or is stillborn

earn on average £120 a week before tax (gross) over an 8 week period

give your employer the correct notice and information for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

If you usually earn an average of £120 or more a week, and you only earned less in some weeks because you were paid but not working (‘on furlough’) under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, you may still be eligible.

How to claim

You have 56 weeks to take Parental Bereavement Leave or claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay through your employer. This starts from the date of the child’s death.

Parental Bereavement Leave

You can take 2 weeks leave in one block or as 2 separate blocks of one week.

The 56 weeks are split into 2 periods:

from the date of the child’s death or stillbirth to 8 weeks after

9 to 56 weeks after the date of the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer notice before you take Parental Bereavement Leave. How much notice depends on when you’re taking the leave.

0 to 8 weeks after the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer notice before you would normally start work on the first day of the week or weeks you want to take off work.

9 to 56 weeks after the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer at least one week’s notice before the start of the week or weeks you want to take off work.

Giving your employer notice

You must tell your employer:

the date of the child’s death or stillbirth

when you want your parental bereavement leave to begin

how much leave you are taking - either 1 or 2 weeks

You can speak to your employer by phone, leave a voicemail, send a text message or an email. You do not need to give them notice in writing (for example through a form or letter).

You do not need to give proof of death or stillbirth.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You must ask for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay within 28 days, starting from the first day of the week you’re claiming the payment for.

Each time you claim, you must give your employer the following information in writing (for example a letter, email or form):

your name

the dates of the period you want to claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You’ll also need to give a ‘declaration’ to your employer to confirm you’re eligible because of your relationship to the child or baby. You only need to complete this once when you first ask for pay.

Completing the declaration

You can:

complete the declaration form online - this takes 5 minutes

declare in writing you’re eligible because of your relationship to the child or baby

use your employers own form if they have one

Once you’ve completed your declaration, you’ll need to send it to your employer. They’ll check your information and your eligibility.

Cancelling your leave or pay

You can change your mind and cancel your Parental Bereavement Leave or Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay if you have given your employer more than the required notice for either taking leave or claiming pay.

To cancel your Parental Bereavement Leave or Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay, you’ll need to tell your employer. When you need to tell them depends on when your leave or pay is due to start.

Parental Bereavement Leave

If your leave is due to start within 8 weeks of the death or stillbirth, you must let your employer know about the cancellation no later than the time you would normally start work on the first day of planned leave.

If your leave is due to start 9 weeks or later after the death or stillbirth, you must let your employer know no later than one week before the start of the planned leave.

If you cancel your leave, you can rebook it if you give your employer the correct notice.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

If your pay was due to start within 8 weeks of the child’s death or stillbirth, you must give your employer notice on the first day of the week you want to cancel.

If your pay was due to start 9 weeks or later after the child’s death or stillbirth, you must tell your employer you want to cancel one week before your pay was due to start.

You might be able to get leave, pay or both. You may be eligible for:

Overview

You and your partner may be able to take time off work if your child dies before they turn 18, or if you have a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

The death or stillbirth must have happened on or after 6 April 2020.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

Parental Bereavement Leave

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

There’s rules about when you can take your leave and pay and how to claim.

You can only claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave if you’re employed in England, Scotland or Wales.

Employment rights when on leave

Your employment rights are protected while on Parental Bereavement Leave. This includes your right to:

pay rises

build up (‘accrue’) holiday

return to work

What you can get

You may be able to get either or both Parental Bereavement Leave and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay.

Parental Bereavement Leave

You can take 2 weeks’ leave from the first day of your employment for each child who has died or was stillborn if you’re eligible.

You can take:

2 weeks together

2 separate weeks of leave

only one week of leave

A week is the same number of days that you normally work in a week.

The leave:

can start on or after the date of the death or stillbirth

must finish within 56 weeks of the date of the death or stillbirth

Taking leave with other types of statutory leave

Your remaining Parental Bereavement Leave must still be taken within 56 weeks of the date of death or stillbirth.

You can take Parental Bereavement Leave between blocks of shared parental leave that you booked before the child died. This includes if the shared parental leave is for another child.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You’ll be able to get either £151.97 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) if you’re eligible.

Any money you get is paid the same way as your wages, for example weekly or monthly, along with deductions for tax and National Insurance.

Check if you're eligible

If you were the child’s parent or a parent’s partner

You may be eligible if at the time of the child’s death or stillbirth, you were:

the child or baby’s parent - either biological, adoptive or parent of a child born to a surrogate

the partner of the child or baby’s parent

If you or your partner had day to day responsibility for the child

You may be eligible if both of the following apply:

the child or baby was living with you at your home for 4 continuous weeks, ending with the date of death

you or your partner had day to day responsibility for the child or baby’s care during that time

If you or your partner were being paid to look after the child or baby, you do not qualify for leave or pay unless you were:

a foster parent being paid a fee or allowance by a local authority

reimbursed for expenses related to caring for the child or baby

getting payments under the terms of a will or trust for the child or baby’s care

If you or your partner were an adoptive parent

You are eligible for pay or leave:

after the adoption order was granted

before the adoption order was made, if the child was placed with you and the placement was not disrupted (for example, being temporarily placed elsewhere) or stopped

If you or your partner were an adoptive parent of a child from outside the United Kingdom

If you or your partner were adopting a child from outside the United Kingdom and the adoption order had not yet been made, you may still be eligible. Both of the following must apply:

the child was living with you after entering Great Britain

you have the ‘official notification’ confirming you were allowed to adopt

If you or your partner had a baby with the help of a surrogate parent

You are eligible for pay or leave:

after a parental order was made

before a parental order was made if you had applied or intended to apply for a parental order within 6 months of the child’s birth and expected it to be granted

Parental Bereavement Leave

To get Parental Bereavement Leave, you must also:

be classed as an employee - it does not matter how long you’ve worked for your employer

give your employer notice for Parental Bereavement Leave

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You must also:

continue to be employed up to the day the child dies or is stillborn

earn on average £120 a week before tax (gross) over an 8 week period

give your employer the correct notice and information for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

How to claim

You have 56 weeks to take Parental Bereavement Leave or claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay through your employer. This starts from the date of the child’s death.

Parental Bereavement Leave

You can take 2 weeks leave in one block or as 2 separate blocks of one week.

The 56 weeks are split into 2 periods:

from the date of the child’s death or stillbirth to 8 weeks after

9 to 56 weeks after the date of the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer notice before you take Parental Bereavement Leave. How much notice depends on when you’re taking the leave.

0 to 8 weeks after the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer notice before you would normally start work on the first day of the week or weeks you want to take off work.

9 to 56 weeks after the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer at least one week’s notice before the start of the week or weeks you want to take off work.

Giving your employer notice

You must tell your employer:

the date of the child’s death or stillbirth

when you want your parental bereavement leave to begin

how much leave you are taking - either 1 or 2 weeks

You can speak to your employer by phone, leave a voicemail, send a text message or an email. You do not need to give them notice in writing (for example through a form or letter).

You do not need to give proof of death or stillbirth.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You must ask for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay within 28 days, starting from the first day of the week you’re claiming the payment for.

Each time you claim, you must give your employer the following information in writing (for example a letter, email or form):

your name

the dates of the period you want to claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

Completing the declaration

You can:

complete the declaration form online - this takes 5 minutes

declare in writing you’re eligible because of your relationship to the child or baby

use your employers own form if they have one

Once you’ve completed your declaration, you’ll need to send it to your employer. They’ll check your information and your eligibility.

Cancelling your leave or pay

Parental Bereavement Leave

If your leave is due to start 9 weeks or later after the death or stillbirth, you must let your employer know no later than one week before the start of the planned leave.

If you cancel your leave, you can rebook it if you give your employer the correct notice.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

If your pay was due to start within 8 weeks of the child’s death or stillbirth, you must give your employer notice on the first day of the week you want to cancel.

If your pay was due to start 9 weeks or later after the child’s death or stillbirth, you must tell your employer you want to cancel one week before your pay was due to start.

Parental Bereavement Leave

Overview

You and your partner may be able to take time off work if your child dies before they turn 18, or if you have a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

The death or stillbirth must have happened on or after 6 April 2020.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

You might be able to get leave, pay or both. You may be eligible for:

Parental Bereavement Leave

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

There’s rules about when you can take your leave and pay and how to claim.

You can only claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave if you’re employed in England, Scotland or Wales.

Employment rights when on leave

Your employment rights are protected while on Parental Bereavement Leave. This includes your right to:

pay rises

build up (‘accrue’) holiday

return to work

What you can get

You may be able to get either or both Parental Bereavement Leave and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay.

Parental Bereavement Leave

You can take 2 weeks’ leave from the first day of your employment for each child who has died or was stillborn if you’re eligible.

You can take:

2 weeks together

2 separate weeks of leave

only one week of leave

A week is the same number of days that you normally work in a week.

The leave:

can start on or after the date of the death or stillbirth

must finish within 56 weeks of the date of the death or stillbirth

Taking leave with other types of statutory leave

Your remaining Parental Bereavement Leave must still be taken within 56 weeks of the date of death or stillbirth.

You can take Parental Bereavement Leave between blocks of shared parental leave that you booked before the child died. This includes if the shared parental leave is for another child.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You’ll be able to get either £151.97 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) if you’re eligible.

Any money you get is paid the same way as your wages, for example weekly or monthly, along with deductions for tax and National Insurance.

Check if you're eligible

If you were the child’s parent or a parent’s partner

You may be eligible if at the time of the child’s death or stillbirth, you were:

the child or baby’s parent - either biological, adoptive or parent of a child born to a surrogate

the partner of the child or baby’s parent

If you or your partner had day to day responsibility for the child

You may be eligible if both of the following apply:

the child or baby was living with you at your home for 4 continuous weeks, ending with the date of death

you or your partner had day to day responsibility for the child or baby’s care during that time

If you or your partner were being paid to look after the child or baby, you do not qualify for leave or pay unless you were:

a foster parent being paid a fee or allowance by a local authority

reimbursed for expenses related to caring for the child or baby

getting payments under the terms of a will or trust for the child or baby’s care

If you or your partner were an adoptive parent

You are eligible for pay or leave:

after the adoption order was granted

before the adoption order was made, if the child was placed with you and the placement was not disrupted (for example, being temporarily placed elsewhere) or stopped

If you or your partner were an adoptive parent of a child from outside the United Kingdom

If you or your partner were adopting a child from outside the United Kingdom and the adoption order had not yet been made, you may still be eligible. Both of the following must apply:

the child was living with you after entering Great Britain

you have the ‘official notification’ confirming you were allowed to adopt

If you or your partner had a baby with the help of a surrogate parent

You are eligible for pay or leave:

after a parental order was made

before a parental order was made if you had applied or intended to apply for a parental order within 6 months of the child’s birth and expected it to be granted

Parental Bereavement Leave

To get Parental Bereavement Leave, you must also:

be classed as an employee - it does not matter how long you’ve worked for your employer

give your employer notice for Parental Bereavement Leave

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You must also:

continue to be employed up to the day the child dies or is stillborn

earn on average £120 a week before tax (gross) over an 8 week period

give your employer the correct notice and information for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

How to claim

You have 56 weeks to take Parental Bereavement Leave or claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay through your employer. This starts from the date of the child’s death.

Parental Bereavement Leave

You can take 2 weeks leave in one block or as 2 separate blocks of one week.

The 56 weeks are split into 2 periods:

from the date of the child’s death or stillbirth to 8 weeks after

9 to 56 weeks after the date of the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer notice before you take Parental Bereavement Leave. How much notice depends on when you’re taking the leave.

0 to 8 weeks after the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer notice before you would normally start work on the first day of the week or weeks you want to take off work.

9 to 56 weeks after the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer at least one week’s notice before the start of the week or weeks you want to take off work.

Giving your employer notice

You must tell your employer:

the date of the child’s death or stillbirth

when you want your parental bereavement leave to begin

how much leave you are taking - either 1 or 2 weeks

You can speak to your employer by phone, leave a voicemail, send a text message or an email. You do not need to give them notice in writing (for example through a form or letter).

You do not need to give proof of death or stillbirth.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You must ask for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay within 28 days, starting from the first day of the week you’re claiming the payment for.

Each time you claim, you must give your employer the following information in writing (for example a letter, email or form):

your name

the dates of the period you want to claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

Completing the declaration

You can:

complete the declaration form online - this takes 5 minutes

declare in writing you’re eligible because of your relationship to the child or baby

use your employers own form if they have one

Once you’ve completed your declaration, you’ll need to send it to your employer. They’ll check your information and your eligibility.

Cancelling your leave or pay

Parental Bereavement Leave

If your leave is due to start 9 weeks or later after the death or stillbirth, you must let your employer know no later than one week before the start of the planned leave.

If you cancel your leave, you can rebook it if you give your employer the correct notice.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

If your pay was due to start within 8 weeks of the child’s death or stillbirth, you must give your employer notice on the first day of the week you want to cancel.

If your pay was due to start 9 weeks or later after the child’s death or stillbirth, you must tell your employer you want to cancel one week before your pay was due to start.

You can take 2 weeks’ leave from the first day of your employment for each child who has died or was stillborn if you’re eligible.

Overview

You and your partner may be able to take time off work if your child dies before they turn 18, or if you have a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

The death or stillbirth must have happened on or after 6 April 2020.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

You might be able to get leave, pay or both. You may be eligible for:

Parental Bereavement Leave

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

There’s rules about when you can take your leave and pay and how to claim.

You can only claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave if you’re employed in England, Scotland or Wales.

Employment rights when on leave

Your employment rights are protected while on Parental Bereavement Leave. This includes your right to:

pay rises

build up (‘accrue’) holiday

return to work

What you can get

You may be able to get either or both Parental Bereavement Leave and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay.

Parental Bereavement Leave

You can take:

2 weeks together

2 separate weeks of leave

only one week of leave

A week is the same number of days that you normally work in a week.

The leave:

can start on or after the date of the death or stillbirth

must finish within 56 weeks of the date of the death or stillbirth

Taking leave with other types of statutory leave

Your remaining Parental Bereavement Leave must still be taken within 56 weeks of the date of death or stillbirth.

You can take Parental Bereavement Leave between blocks of shared parental leave that you booked before the child died. This includes if the shared parental leave is for another child.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You’ll be able to get either £151.97 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) if you’re eligible.

Any money you get is paid the same way as your wages, for example weekly or monthly, along with deductions for tax and National Insurance.

Check if you're eligible

If you were the child’s parent or a parent’s partner

You may be eligible if at the time of the child’s death or stillbirth, you were:

the child or baby’s parent - either biological, adoptive or parent of a child born to a surrogate

the partner of the child or baby’s parent

If you or your partner had day to day responsibility for the child

You may be eligible if both of the following apply:

the child or baby was living with you at your home for 4 continuous weeks, ending with the date of death

you or your partner had day to day responsibility for the child or baby’s care during that time

If you or your partner were being paid to look after the child or baby, you do not qualify for leave or pay unless you were:

a foster parent being paid a fee or allowance by a local authority

reimbursed for expenses related to caring for the child or baby

getting payments under the terms of a will or trust for the child or baby’s care

If you or your partner were an adoptive parent

You are eligible for pay or leave:

after the adoption order was granted

before the adoption order was made, if the child was placed with you and the placement was not disrupted (for example, being temporarily placed elsewhere) or stopped

If you or your partner were an adoptive parent of a child from outside the United Kingdom

If you or your partner were adopting a child from outside the United Kingdom and the adoption order had not yet been made, you may still be eligible. Both of the following must apply:

the child was living with you after entering Great Britain

you have the ‘official notification’ confirming you were allowed to adopt

If you or your partner had a baby with the help of a surrogate parent

You are eligible for pay or leave:

after a parental order was made

before a parental order was made if you had applied or intended to apply for a parental order within 6 months of the child’s birth and expected it to be granted

Parental Bereavement Leave

To get Parental Bereavement Leave, you must also:

be classed as an employee - it does not matter how long you’ve worked for your employer

give your employer notice for Parental Bereavement Leave

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You must also:

continue to be employed up to the day the child dies or is stillborn

earn on average £120 a week before tax (gross) over an 8 week period

give your employer the correct notice and information for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

How to claim

You have 56 weeks to take Parental Bereavement Leave or claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay through your employer. This starts from the date of the child’s death.

Parental Bereavement Leave

You can take 2 weeks leave in one block or as 2 separate blocks of one week.

The 56 weeks are split into 2 periods:

from the date of the child’s death or stillbirth to 8 weeks after

9 to 56 weeks after the date of the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer notice before you take Parental Bereavement Leave. How much notice depends on when you’re taking the leave.

0 to 8 weeks after the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer notice before you would normally start work on the first day of the week or weeks you want to take off work.

9 to 56 weeks after the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer at least one week’s notice before the start of the week or weeks you want to take off work.

Giving your employer notice

You must tell your employer:

the date of the child’s death or stillbirth

when you want your parental bereavement leave to begin

how much leave you are taking - either 1 or 2 weeks

You can speak to your employer by phone, leave a voicemail, send a text message or an email. You do not need to give them notice in writing (for example through a form or letter).

You do not need to give proof of death or stillbirth.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You must ask for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay within 28 days, starting from the first day of the week you’re claiming the payment for.

Each time you claim, you must give your employer the following information in writing (for example a letter, email or form):

your name

the dates of the period you want to claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

Completing the declaration

You can:

complete the declaration form online - this takes 5 minutes

declare in writing you’re eligible because of your relationship to the child or baby

use your employers own form if they have one

Once you’ve completed your declaration, you’ll need to send it to your employer. They’ll check your information and your eligibility.

Cancelling your leave or pay

Parental Bereavement Leave

If your leave is due to start 9 weeks or later after the death or stillbirth, you must let your employer know no later than one week before the start of the planned leave.

If you cancel your leave, you can rebook it if you give your employer the correct notice.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

If your pay was due to start within 8 weeks of the child’s death or stillbirth, you must give your employer notice on the first day of the week you want to cancel.

If your pay was due to start 9 weeks or later after the child’s death or stillbirth, you must tell your employer you want to cancel one week before your pay was due to start.

You may be eligible if at the time of the child’s death or stillbirth, you were:

Overview

You and your partner may be able to take time off work if your child dies before they turn 18, or if you have a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

The death or stillbirth must have happened on or after 6 April 2020.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

You might be able to get leave, pay or both. You may be eligible for:

Parental Bereavement Leave

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

There’s rules about when you can take your leave and pay and how to claim.

You can only claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave if you’re employed in England, Scotland or Wales.

Employment rights when on leave

Your employment rights are protected while on Parental Bereavement Leave. This includes your right to:

pay rises

build up (‘accrue’) holiday

return to work

What you can get

You may be able to get either or both Parental Bereavement Leave and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay.

Parental Bereavement Leave

You can take 2 weeks’ leave from the first day of your employment for each child who has died or was stillborn if you’re eligible.

You can take:

2 weeks together

2 separate weeks of leave

only one week of leave

A week is the same number of days that you normally work in a week.

The leave:

can start on or after the date of the death or stillbirth

must finish within 56 weeks of the date of the death or stillbirth

Taking leave with other types of statutory leave

Your remaining Parental Bereavement Leave must still be taken within 56 weeks of the date of death or stillbirth.

You can take Parental Bereavement Leave between blocks of shared parental leave that you booked before the child died. This includes if the shared parental leave is for another child.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You’ll be able to get either £151.97 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) if you’re eligible.

Any money you get is paid the same way as your wages, for example weekly or monthly, along with deductions for tax and National Insurance.

Check if you're eligible

If you were the child’s parent or a parent’s partner

You may be eligible if at the time of the child’s death or stillbirth, you were:

the child or baby’s parent - either biological, adoptive or parent of a child born to a surrogate

the partner of the child or baby’s parent

If you or your partner had day to day responsibility for the child

You may be eligible if both of the following apply:

the child or baby was living with you at your home for 4 continuous weeks, ending with the date of death

you or your partner had day to day responsibility for the child or baby’s care during that time

If you or your partner were being paid to look after the child or baby, you do not qualify for leave or pay unless you were:

a foster parent being paid a fee or allowance by a local authority

reimbursed for expenses related to caring for the child or baby

getting payments under the terms of a will or trust for the child or baby’s care

You are not eligible if one of the child or baby’s parents or someone who had parental responsibility (parental responsibilities in Scotland) for the child was also living in the household.

If you or your partner were an adoptive parent

You are eligible for pay or leave:

after the adoption order was granted

before the adoption order was made, if the child was placed with you and the placement was not disrupted (for example, being temporarily placed elsewhere) or stopped

If you or your partner were an adoptive parent of a child from outside the United Kingdom

If you or your partner were adopting a child from outside the United Kingdom and the adoption order had not yet been made, you may still be eligible. Both of the following must apply:

the child was living with you after entering Great Britain

you have the ‘official notification’ confirming you were allowed to adopt

If you or your partner had a baby with the help of a surrogate parent

You are eligible for pay or leave:

after a parental order was made

before a parental order was made if you had applied or intended to apply for a parental order within 6 months of the child’s birth and expected it to be granted

Parental Bereavement Leave

To get Parental Bereavement Leave, you must also:

be classed as an employee - it does not matter how long you’ve worked for your employer

give your employer notice for Parental Bereavement Leave

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You must also:

continue to be employed up to the day the child dies or is stillborn

earn on average £120 a week before tax (gross) over an 8 week period

give your employer the correct notice and information for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

How to claim

You have 56 weeks to take Parental Bereavement Leave or claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay through your employer. This starts from the date of the child’s death.

Parental Bereavement Leave

You can take 2 weeks leave in one block or as 2 separate blocks of one week.

The 56 weeks are split into 2 periods:

from the date of the child’s death or stillbirth to 8 weeks after

9 to 56 weeks after the date of the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer notice before you take Parental Bereavement Leave. How much notice depends on when you’re taking the leave.

0 to 8 weeks after the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer notice before you would normally start work on the first day of the week or weeks you want to take off work.

9 to 56 weeks after the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer at least one week’s notice before the start of the week or weeks you want to take off work.

Giving your employer notice

You must tell your employer:

the date of the child’s death or stillbirth

when you want your parental bereavement leave to begin

how much leave you are taking - either 1 or 2 weeks

You can speak to your employer by phone, leave a voicemail, send a text message or an email. You do not need to give them notice in writing (for example through a form or letter).

You do not need to give proof of death or stillbirth.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You must ask for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay within 28 days, starting from the first day of the week you’re claiming the payment for.

Each time you claim, you must give your employer the following information in writing (for example a letter, email or form):

your name

the dates of the period you want to claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

Completing the declaration

You can:

complete the declaration form online - this takes 5 minutes

declare in writing you’re eligible because of your relationship to the child or baby

use your employers own form if they have one

Once you’ve completed your declaration, you’ll need to send it to your employer. They’ll check your information and your eligibility.

Cancelling your leave or pay

Parental Bereavement Leave

If your leave is due to start 9 weeks or later after the death or stillbirth, you must let your employer know no later than one week before the start of the planned leave.

If you cancel your leave, you can rebook it if you give your employer the correct notice.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

If your pay was due to start within 8 weeks of the child’s death or stillbirth, you must give your employer notice on the first day of the week you want to cancel.

If your pay was due to start 9 weeks or later after the child’s death or stillbirth, you must tell your employer you want to cancel one week before your pay was due to start.

the partner of the child or baby’s parent

Overview

You and your partner may be able to take time off work if your child dies before they turn 18, or if you have a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

The death or stillbirth must have happened on or after 6 April 2020.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

You might be able to get leave, pay or both. You may be eligible for:

Parental Bereavement Leave

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

There’s rules about when you can take your leave and pay and how to claim.

You can only claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave if you’re employed in England, Scotland or Wales.

Employment rights when on leave

Your employment rights are protected while on Parental Bereavement Leave. This includes your right to:

pay rises

build up (‘accrue’) holiday

return to work

What you can get

You may be able to get either or both Parental Bereavement Leave and Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay.

Parental Bereavement Leave

You can take 2 weeks’ leave from the first day of your employment for each child who has died or was stillborn if you’re eligible.

You can take:

2 weeks together

2 separate weeks of leave

only one week of leave

A week is the same number of days that you normally work in a week.

The leave:

can start on or after the date of the death or stillbirth

must finish within 56 weeks of the date of the death or stillbirth

Taking leave with other types of statutory leave

Your remaining Parental Bereavement Leave must still be taken within 56 weeks of the date of death or stillbirth.

You can take Parental Bereavement Leave between blocks of shared parental leave that you booked before the child died. This includes if the shared parental leave is for another child.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You’ll be able to get either £151.97 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) if you’re eligible.

Any money you get is paid the same way as your wages, for example weekly or monthly, along with deductions for tax and National Insurance.

Check if you're eligible

If you were the child’s parent or a parent’s partner

You may be eligible if at the time of the child’s death or stillbirth, you were:

the child or baby’s parent - either biological, adoptive or parent of a child born to a surrogate

the partner of the child or baby’s parent

If you or your partner had day to day responsibility for the child

You may be eligible if both of the following apply:

the child or baby was living with you at your home for 4 continuous weeks, ending with the date of death

you or your partner had day to day responsibility for the child or baby’s care during that time

If you or your partner were being paid to look after the child or baby, you do not qualify for leave or pay unless you were:

a foster parent being paid a fee or allowance by a local authority

reimbursed for expenses related to caring for the child or baby

getting payments under the terms of a will or trust for the child or baby’s care

You are not eligible if one of the child or baby’s parents or someone who had parental responsibility (parental responsibilities in Scotland) for the child was also living in the household.

If you or your partner were an adoptive parent

You are eligible for pay or leave:

after the adoption order was granted

before the adoption order was made, if the child was placed with you and the placement was not disrupted (for example, being temporarily placed elsewhere) or stopped

If you or your partner were an adoptive parent of a child from outside the United Kingdom

If you or your partner were adopting a child from outside the United Kingdom and the adoption order had not yet been made, you may still be eligible. Both of the following must apply:

the child was living with you after entering Great Britain

you have the ‘official notification’ confirming you were allowed to adopt

If you or your partner had a baby with the help of a surrogate parent

You are eligible for pay or leave:

after a parental order was made

before a parental order was made if you had applied or intended to apply for a parental order within 6 months of the child’s birth and expected it to be granted

Parental Bereavement Leave

To get Parental Bereavement Leave, you must also:

be classed as an employee - it does not matter how long you’ve worked for your employer

give your employer notice for Parental Bereavement Leave

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You must also:

continue to be employed up to the day the child dies or is stillborn

earn on average £120 a week before tax (gross) over an 8 week period

give your employer the correct notice and information for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

How to claim

You have 56 weeks to take Parental Bereavement Leave or claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay through your employer. This starts from the date of the child’s death.

Parental Bereavement Leave

You can take 2 weeks leave in one block or as 2 separate blocks of one week.

The 56 weeks are split into 2 periods:

from the date of the child’s death or stillbirth to 8 weeks after

9 to 56 weeks after the date of the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer notice before you take Parental Bereavement Leave. How much notice depends on when you’re taking the leave.

0 to 8 weeks after the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer notice before you would normally start work on the first day of the week or weeks you want to take off work.

9 to 56 weeks after the child’s death or stillbirth

You must give your employer at least one week’s notice before the start of the week or weeks you want to take off work.

Giving your employer notice

You must tell your employer:

the date of the child’s death or stillbirth

when you want your parental bereavement leave to begin

how much leave you are taking - either 1 or 2 weeks

You can speak to your employer by phone, leave a voicemail, send a text message or an email. You do not need to give them notice in writing (for example through a form or letter).

You do not need to give proof of death or stillbirth.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

You must ask for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay within 28 days, starting from the first day of the week you’re claiming the payment for.

Each time you claim, you must give your employer the following information in writing (for example a letter, email or form):

your name

the dates of the period you want to claim Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

Completing the declaration

You can:

complete the declaration form online - this takes 5 minutes

declare in writing you’re eligible because of your relationship to the child or baby

use your employers own form if they have one

Once you’ve completed your declaration, you’ll need to send it to your employer. They’ll check your information and your eligibility.

Cancelling your leave or pay

Parental Bereavement Leave

If your leave is due to start 9 weeks or later after the death or stillbirth, you must let your employer know no later than one week before the start of the planned leave.

If you cancel your leave, you can rebook it if you give your employer the correct notice.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay

If your pay was due to start within 8 weeks of the child’s death or stillbirth, you must give your employer notice on the first day of the week you want to cancel.

If your pay was due to start 9 weeks or later after the child’s death or stillbirth, you must tell your employer you want to cancel one week before your pay was due to start.