19th February 2026
New Support for Bereaved Parents in Northern Ireland
Significant changes to Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay are being introduced by the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland giving additional support for those going through one of life’s most difficult experiences.
Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay becomes a day one right
Currently, you usually need to have worked for your employer for 26 weeks to qualify for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay. From 6 April 2026, in Northern Ireland only, all cases of entitlement will qualify for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay from the first day of employment.
Employees can rely on either their actual earnings or expected earnings based on reasonable assumptions, ensuring that no employee is left unsupported at a time when compassion and understanding are essential to their welfare.
New eligibility for miscarriage
From April 2026, Northern Ireland will be the first region of the UK to offer two weeks of statutory paid leave specifically for miscarriage. Previously if you experienced a miscarriage before the 24th week of pregnancy, you often had to rely on sick leave, the goodwill of an employer or use annual leave to take some time off.
Under the new legislation employees who experience a miscarriage, whether through spontaneous loss or medical interventions necessary for health reasons, will now also be entitled to Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay. This also applies to those who have a defined connection to a woman who has experienced a miscarriage, such as a partner.
No need for “Proof”
Like the existing arrangements for Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay, there will be no medical evidence requirements placed upon the employee. In order to be eligible for Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay, a bereaved employee will need to provide minimal evidence in the form of a written self-declaration that they meets any eligibility conditions for pay, together with confirmation of the name of the person claiming, and the date on which the miscarriage occurred, or was discovered to have occurred by the woman who experienced it.
What is the entitlement?
Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay applies to miscarriage, to stillbirth (from 24 weeks) and the death of a child under 18. From April 2026 it will be paid at a weekly rate of £194.32 or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
Parental Bereavement Leave can be taken as two weeks together or split into two separate one-week blocks but must finish within 56 weeks of the loss.
Employers should be aware that:
- cases where entitlement was gained before 6 April 2026 will continue under the existing rules
- the right for miscarriage entitlement is not retrospective and will not apply to miscarriages which occurred or were discovered before 6 April 2026
- all rights and entitlements currently available under Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay will be extended without exception to cases where eligibility arises due to miscarriage discovered on or after 6 April 2026