Prison Officer Paternity and Shared Parental Leave 2026

In shortHMPPS lists up to two weeks of maternity support (paternity) leave at contractual pay and shared parental leave of up to a year with up to 26 weeks of contractual pay.

• Paternity (maternity support) leaveUp to two weeksAt contractual pay (HMPPS)
• Shared parental leaveUp to a yearUp to 26 weeks of contractual pay shared with a partner

HMPPS's Prison Service Employee Package, in its family leave section, lists maternity and adoption leave, shared parental leave, and 'maternity support (paternity) leave (up to two weeks of leave at contractual pay)'. It also mentions a range of paid and unpaid special leave for parents and carers.

That is a short statement, but it is the primary HMPPS source we found.

The Civil Service-wide guide says 'most civil servants are entitled to full pay while on paternity leave' and tells readers to check their department's paternity policy to be sure; it also says departments may offer more than the two weeks of statutory leave.

For prison officers, plan on two weeks at contractual pay until HR tells you otherwise.

In shortPaternity leave is for the partner of the person having a baby from day one of employment, but paternity pay needs 26 weeks' service and earnings of at least £129 a week.

Whether your contractual two weeks can be taken in two separate weeks, and by when you must tell your manager, depends on HMPPS's own process. Ask your manager and HR early, ideally before your 15th week before the due date.

Who it covers

The Civil Service guide notes that, despite the name, it applies to both male and female partners of the mother. GOV.UK's eligibility page says you must be taking time off for childcare as the father, the spouse or partner of the mother, an adopter or an intended parent in a surrogacy arrangement, and that you must give the right notice.

Paternity leave

Available to employees from the first day of employment.

Paternity pay

Extra conditions: continuous employment of at least 26 weeks by the qualifying week (15 weeks before the due date) and average earnings of at least £129 a week.

In shortTwo weeks at contractual pay is about £1,339.70 gross against £388.64 statutory, a gap of about £951.

• Contractual, two weeks£1,339.70£669.85 a week; Band 3 pay point 1, National, 37 hours, £34,928
• Statutory, two weeks£388.64£194.32 a week, 2026/27 flat rate
• GapAbout £951 grossWhy the contractual pay matters

The weekly figure is our convention: annual pay divided by 52.143. Statutory paternity pay for 2026/27 is £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.

Those are gross figures before tax, National Insurance and pension. They also assume 'contractual pay' means your normal pay including the 20% unsocial hours allowance.

• We found no HMPPS statement on whether Payment Plus, a market supplement or additional committed hours are included, so ask for your figure in writing. The payslip guide explains how each pay line is treated.
• If you are not eligible for statutory paternity pay, for example because you have not been employed long enough, check carefully what the contractual scheme says about service, because the HMPPS package does not publish a service requirement.
• New recruits who become parents during training or probation should ask before assuming either way; see first year as a prison officer.

In shortUp to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay can be shared, with eight weeks' notice for each of up to three applications.

• Leave to shareUp to 50 weeksThe mother must take at least two weeks of maternity leave after the birth
• Pay to share37 weeks
• NoticeEight weeksUp to three applications
• SPLIT daysUp to 20Each, during SPL

Shared parental leave (SPL) lets parents share the leave and pay that would otherwise go to the mother alone. The Civil Service guide says it is 'a way of sharing the entitlement to maternity leave and, in some cases, maternity allowance between parents'.

SPL must be taken after the birth, in whole weeks, within the first 52 weeks.

• Apply at least eight weeks before you want SPL to start, and you can submit up to three applications, which means up to three blocks of leave.
• Your manager cannot refuse a request for a single continuous block if you meet the eligibility conditions, but may refuse a pattern of separate blocks; if so you can take the leave in one continuous block instead.
• You can also have up to 20 SPLIT (shared parental leave in touch) days during SPL, and your partner gets 20 too.

In shortThe full-pay limit catches civil servants out: if both parents are civil servants, 26 weeks of full pay is a joint entitlement, and paid maternity weeks are deducted.

• Mother, maternity pay26 + 13 + 13 weeksFull pay, statutory pay, unpaid (Civil Service structure)
• SPL at full pay24 weeks26 minus the minimum two weeks of maternity leave
• Statutory pay limit39 weeksOf statutory maternity pay or maternity allowance and shared parental pay, between qualifying couples

If the mother converts her unused maternity leave into SPL, the Civil Service guide says she can take 24 weeks of SPL at full pay, then 13 weeks at statutory pay and 13 weeks unpaid.

The partner, if working in the Civil Service, can take 24 weeks SPL at full pay, 13 weeks at statutory pay and 13 weeks unpaid after the mother has ended her leave. But the weeks of paid maternity leave she took are deducted from the full-pay entitlement.

• If you are both civil servants, the entitlement to 24 weeks of SPL at full pay is a joint entitlement, so you can only take 26 weeks in total of maternity and SPL at full pay between you.
• If your partner works outside the Civil Service, their employer's occupational shared parental pay does not affect your entitlement to full pay as a civil servant.
• That is the general Civil Service rule, written for civil servants as a group, with a note that departments may offer more than 26 weeks of full pay and that you should check your own department's SPL policy.
• The HMPPS package says SPL lets staff share up to one year's leave and up to 26 weeks of contractual pay, which fits that general rule. We did not find a more generous HMPPS arrangement.

In shortIn this illustration the father takes two weeks of paternity leave first (about £1,340 gross) then up to 24 weeks of SPL at full pay, about £16,076 gross.

• Paternity leave firstAbout £1,340 grossTwo weeks at contractual pay
• SPL at full pay24 weeks26 minus the partner's 2 paid weeks of maternity leave
• At £669.85 a weekAbout £16,076 grossAssumes his full pay equals his full contracted figure

Imagine a prison officer, Band 3 pay point 1, whose partner works for a private employer that pays 12 weeks of full pay and then statutory pay. The baby is due in the spring of 2027.

The partner takes 2 weeks of maternity leave after the birth, then opts into SPL, converting 50 weeks into SPL.

The officer takes his two weeks of paternity leave first, at contractual pay, because for births on or after 6 April 2026 it can come before or after SPL. He then applies for SPL with eight weeks' notice.

He can take SPL in a single block, which his manager cannot refuse if he is eligible, or in up to three blocks if his manager agrees. The 24 weeks apply regardless of her employer's scheme.

1. Before the 15th week before the due date, check that you meet the 26-week continuous employment conditions for paternity pay and shared parental leave.
2. Ask HR for HMPPS's paternity and shared parental leave policies, and the qualifying conditions for contractual pay.
3. Talk to your partner and their employer about the split, and complete the planner in the Civil Service guide with your manager.
4. Give your manager notice of paternity leave, and apply for SPL at least eight weeks before it starts.
5. Ask what counts as full pay on your payslip, using the pay lines you actually receive.
6. Keep records: your applications, HR's written replies and your partner's employer's confirmation.

In shortThe rules cover more than birth fathers, but Scotland, Northern Ireland and private prisons differ.

The Civil Service guide says paternity leave applies to male and female partners of the mother, and GOV.UK's eligibility page extends it to adopters and intended parents in surrogacy arrangements.

The Civil Service has a separate shared parental leave guide for adoption and surrogacy, which we did not open in full, so ask HR for it if that is your situation. The HMPPS package groups adoption with maternity for leave and pay purposes.

Scotland

The Scottish Prison Service says qualifying employees get two weeks' paid paternity leave, and 27 weeks of full basic maternity or adoption pay followed by 12 weeks of statutory pay. See prison officer pay in Scotland.

Northern Ireland

The Civil Service guide says paternity leave must be taken within 56 days of the birth and before shared parental leave. We did not find a verified Northern Ireland Prison Service paternity or maternity pay figure, so check with that service. See Northern Ireland.

Private-sector custody officers

None of the Civil Service rules above apply. Statutory rights still do, but contractual pay is whatever your employer's scheme provides. We have not found a verified source for private prison employers' parental leave terms.

In shortThe costliest mistakes are assuming contractual pay is automatic, missing the eight-week SPL notice and double-counting full pay.

• Do I meet the 26 weeks continuous employment condition by the end of the 15th week before the due date?
• What does HMPPS pay for paternity leave: confirm the two weeks at contractual pay in writing.
• Is my partner's employer paying more than statutory, and does that affect our plan?
• Have I given eight weeks' notice for shared parental leave, and which pattern am I asking for?
• Was the baby born before or on/after 6 April 2026? Births on or after that date allow paternity leave before or after SPL.
• What counts as full pay for me, and does it include the 20% unsocial hours allowance?
• How will my pension, annual leave and pay progression be treated during leave?
• Have I kept copies of everything?