Shared Paternity Leave?

[Nellynoo182]

Anyone able to offer any insight on this situation as I seem to spend my life on the phone to Citizen’s Advice and they haven’t been able to give me a clear answer.

I am a full time healthcare student and my baby will be born 1 month after finishing my course. Due to being on placements for most of my course, I have been unable to work and therefore will not be entitled to any maternity pay or allowance (including statutory).

Due to my husband’s salary, I would also not be entitled to any universal credit.

My question is, would my husband be able to take shared paternity leave if I am not employed and have not been employed for the last 2 years? He is a teacher & been at his school for at least 10 years if that makes any difference. Thanks!

No I don't think he can as you both need to meet eligibility criteria and one of them is that you need to qualify for maternity leave and pay. You then create the shared parental leave by ending your maternity leave/pay period early.

www.gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay/eligibility-for-birth-parents

It's not shared parental leave if you're not on parental leave.

Sorry OP.

No , when is your baby due? If you are newly pregnant their is a solution.

There!

No. You both need to be eligible. “Shared” is misleading - it is you transferring your own statutory entitlement to him. And you don’t have an entitlement.

No. Shared parental leave not shared paternity leave anyway. You both need to be eligible.

Ah thank you everyone! Appreciate the straight forward answers after going round in circles!