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The definition of neonatal care is the requirement is for the baby to receive seven days of medical or palliative care within the first 28 days of birth. This does not increase in the case of multiple births and will only be triggered if any or the babies each spend seven or more continuous days in care.
Example:
Baby is born on 5/05/2025 and enters neonatal care the same day. The right to receive statutory neonatal care pay 6th May, would be the start date on when eligibility would be assessed.
If the baby is still in care on 13th May, the employee would qualify for SNCL.
If the baby required care up to 12th May, the employee would not qualify for SNCL.
The right to receive Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (‘SNCP’) requires 26 weeks of service and earnings on average of at least £123 a week average earnings on or above the lower earnings limit for the related tax year and is available to both parents.
SNCL must be taken in the first 68 weeks of the baby’s birth. The leave has been split into two tiers, the first in which occurs when the child is in care and the second when the child is out of neonatal care and can be planned. This is to be managed outside of FastTrack 360, based on the notice given for each tier.
Tier one allows parents to take leave on short notice should the child be admitted to care, this can be taken flexibly in non-consecutive periods of at least a week.
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In order to exercise this right the employee must meet both the caring & and relationship criteria for child.
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