Adoption Pay Calculator UK

What This Adoption Pay Calculator Does

This calculator estimates Statutory Adoption Pay, often shortened to SAP, for employees in the UK. It is built around the official two-stage SAP pattern: the first 6 weeks are based on 90% of gross average weekly earnings, and the following 33 weeks use the statutory weekly rate or 90% of earnings, whichever is lower. The calculator also checks the earnings threshold, records paid weeks, and gives a remaining gross amount so an employee or employer can compare the estimate with a payslip or payroll forecast.

The result is not a final payroll instruction. SAP is paid in the same way as wages, so tax and National Insurance are deducted through payroll. A tax code, pension arrangement, salary sacrifice agreement, student loan plan, back pay, company adoption scheme or shared parental leave choice can all change what appears in a bank account. Treat the gross statutory figure as the starting point, then compare it with employer policy and payroll records.

2026/27 Statutory Adoption Pay Rates

Worked Example: AWE Of £450

An employee with gross average weekly earnings of £450 in 2026/27 is above the £129 earnings threshold. The first 6 weeks are paid at 90% of £450, which is £405 per week. For weeks 7 to 39, 90% of earnings is still £405, so the lower amount is the statutory rate of £194.32 per week. The statutory total is 6 x £405 plus 33 x £194.32, giving £8,831.56 before payroll deductions.

If 12 weeks have already been paid, the remaining statutory pay is not another full 39 weeks. The first 6 weeks and 6 standard-rate weeks are already used. That leaves 27 standard-rate weeks, so the remaining statutory gross estimate is 27 x £194.32, or £5,246.64. This is why the paid-weeks field matters when checking a payroll forecast mid-leave.

Eligibility Checks To Make Before Relying On The Estimate

• The employee usually needs at least 26 weeks of continuous employment by the official matching point for a UK adoption.
• The employee must be on payroll and earn at least the SAP weekly earnings threshold during the relevant period.
• For UK adoption, pay notice is normally required 28 days before SAP is due to start, unless the matching-to-placement time is shorter.
• Proof of adoption may include a matching certificate or agency letter showing the matching date and expected or actual placement date.
• Overseas adoption and surrogacy arrangements use related but different timing rules, so the calculator is only a pay estimate.

When This Calculator Is Useful

It is most useful when you already know the employee’s gross average weekly earnings and want to estimate the statutory pay pattern quickly. It can help before adoption leave starts, during leave when some weeks have already been paid, or when checking whether a company adoption policy adds pay on top of the statutory amount. It is also helpful for comparing 2025/26 and 2026/27 rates when the adoption pay period starts near a tax-year change.

When Not To Use It As The Final Answer

Do not treat this page as the final answer for disputed entitlement, overseas adoption dates, surrogacy timing, employment-status issues, payroll recovery claims, shared parental leave decisions or pay for an employee who has left, become sick or had a bereavement during the adoption pay period. Those areas need the official calculator, employer policy and sometimes advice from HMRC, ACAS or a payroll specialist.