Work out Statutory Adoption Pay: 6 weeks at 90% of earnings then 33 weeks at the statutory rate, over 52 weeks of leave.
Source: GOV.UK; Adoption pay and leave
By Konstantin Iakovlev · Founder, Calks.uk
Last updated: · Verified against HMRC and GOV.UK 2026/27 rates
Rates verified: 28 September 2026
Quick Answer
Statutory Adoption Pay runs for 39 weeks: the first 6 weeks at 90% of your average earnings, then 33 weeks at £194.32/week (or 90% of earnings if lower), the same rates as maternity pay. Adoption leave itself can last 52 weeks; the final 13 are unpaid.
Average pay in the 8 weeks before the matching week
Total Statutory Adoption Pay (39 weeks)
£9,652.56
before tax and National Insurance
| Period | Weekly | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1–6 (90% of earnings) | £540.00 | £3,240.00 |
| Weeks 7–39 (statutory rate or 90%) | £194.32 | £6,412.56 |
| Weeks 40–52 (optional leave) | Unpaid | £0 |
To qualify: 26 weeks with your employer by the matching week (UK adoptions) and average earnings at or above the Lower Earnings Limit. Only one parent takes adoption leave — the other may qualify for paternity pay or shared parental pay. Fostering-to-adopt and overseas adoptions have their own timing rules.
Disclaimer
This calculator is for guidance only. It is not financial or tax advice: check anything you rely on against the official source or a qualified adviser. Rates and figures come from HMRC and GOV.UK and are reviewed for the 2026/27 tax year. Everything is calculated in your browser; nothing you enter is sent to our servers.
How It Works
Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP) mirrors maternity pay almost exactly. When a child is matched with you in a UK adoption, or arrives in the case of overseas adoptions and fostering-to-adopt, the primary adopter can take up to 52 weeks of adoption leave, 39 of them paid. The first 6 weeks are paid at 90% of average weekly earnings with no cap, so a higher salary means a higher figure. The following 33 weeks are paid at the statutory rate, £194.32 in 2026/27, or 90% of earnings if that comes out lower.
Qualifying turns on two tests. You need 26 weeks of continuous service with your employer by the end of the matching week, the week you are officially matched with the child, and average earnings at or above the Lower Earnings Limit. Those earnings are measured over the 8 weeks before the matching week, which is worth knowing if your pay varies or you have recently changed hours. Agency workers with employee-level earnings can qualify, but self-employed adopters cannot, and there is no adoption equivalent of Maternity Allowance to fall back on.
Leave can begin up to 14 days before the placement date for UK adoptions, which gives you time to prepare rather than starting on the day a child arrives. Overseas adoptions and fostering-to-adopt placements work to adjusted timing rules built around arrival instead of matching. Intended parents in surrogacy arrangements use the same adoption leave framework, so the figures on this page apply to them too.
Only one partner takes adoption leave and the couple decides which. The other partner may qualify for 2 weeks of statutory paternity pay at the placement. Beyond that, the pair can convert unused adoption leave into Shared Parental Leave, up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay, taken together or in turns and split into as many as three blocks each. A common approach is for the primary adopter to take the 6 well-paid weeks at 90% first, then share what is left according to who earns what.
SAP is paid through payroll like normal wages, so income tax and National Insurance come off before it reaches you, and if your employer becomes insolvent HMRC pays it directly instead. Many employers add occupational adoption pay on top of the statutory amounts, so read your contract before assuming the figures here are what you will receive. They are the floor rather than the expectation. The final 13 weeks of the 52-week leave period carry no statutory pay at all unless your employer chooses to enhance them.
Example: £2,600/month salary
- Average weekly earnings: £2,600 × 12 ÷ 52 = £600
- Weeks 1–6: 90% × £600 = £540/week → £3,240
- Weeks 7–39: min(£194.32, £540) = £194.32/week → £6,412.56
- Total SAP over 39 weeks: £9,652.56 before tax
- Weeks 40–52 of leave are unpaid unless your employer enhances the package
Source: GOV.UK; Adoption pay and leave
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who qualifies for Statutory Adoption Pay?
- You must be an employee, or an agency worker with employee-level earnings, with 26 weeks of continuous service by the end of the matching week, the week the adoption agency officially matches you with a child. You also need average earnings at or above the Lower Earnings Limit across the 8 weeks before matching. Only one partner in a couple can claim SAP for a placement, while the other may claim statutory paternity pay. Self-employed adopters do not qualify at all. Source: GOV.UK.
- How much is adoption pay and for how long?
- The first 6 weeks are paid at 90% of your average weekly earnings with no upper cap, then 33 further weeks at £194.32 a week in 2026/27, or 90% of earnings if that is lower. That gives 39 paid weeks in total out of a possible 52 weeks of leave, leaving the final 13 unpaid at statutory level. Pay starts when your leave starts, which can be up to 14 days before the placement date for UK adoptions. Source: GOV.UK.
- Can we share adoption leave between partners?
- Yes. The primary adopter can curtail their adoption leave and pay and convert the balance into Shared Parental Leave and Pay, giving up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay to divide between you, taken together or in turns and in up to three blocks each. The other partner separately has the right to 2 weeks of statutory paternity pay at the placement, which does not depend on any of the shared arrangements. Source: GOV.UK.