Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay (for adoption) Calculator

The Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay (OSPP) calculator will help you to work out if you have to pay OSPP to your employee and if so how much OSPP you have to pay them. It will also help you to work out how much OSPP recovery you can get.

OSPP is available to any employee (male or female) who is:

  • a partner, civil partner or husband of someone who is adopting a child on their own or
  • adopting a child jointly with their partner

Note: OSPP is only payable if the adopter has been matched with a child for adoption by an adoption agency or, for adoption from abroad, the foreign adoption agency has been issued with a certificate of eligibility by a UK authority. Private adoptions are not covered by OSPP.

On this page:

News and updates

1) Additional Statutory Paternity Pay (ASPP) was introduced from 3 April 2011. As a consequence of this, the formally know Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) is now know as Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay. The calculator has not been updated with this name change. Please read all references to Statutory Paternity Pay (or SPP) to now read Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay (or OSPP). The rules for SPP have not changed. If you require further information regarding ASPP, please read our guide 'Additional Statutory Paternity Pay: eligibility forms and records'.

Additional Statutory Paternity Pay: eligibility forms and records

2) For directors of companies incorporated after 1 October 2009, there are new company regulations which may affect the director's average weekly earnings for OSPP purposes. You'll find more detail in HM Revenue & Customs' (HMRC's) publication E19: 'Employer Helpbook for Ordinary and Additional Statutory Paternity Pay'. You can download this publication using the link at the end of this section. Alternatively, you can contact the Employer Helpline - you can find their contact details in the 'Further help' section at the end of this guide.

Download Basic PAYE Tools from the Business Link website (Opens new window)

Go to E19: Employer Helpbook for Ordinary and Additional Statutory Paternity Pay

Calculate Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay

What you need before using this calculator

To work out how much OSPP you will have to pay for adoptions in the UK you will need:

  • A declaration of family commitment signed by the employee. This can either be form SC4 or your own version of the form.
  • The date the adopter was matched with the child.
  • The date the child was placed.
  • To establish whether your employee's gross earnings attract Class 1 National Insurance contributions (NICs) or would if they were high enough.
  • The date your employee wants to be paid OSPP.
  • Your employee's gross pay amounts for the dates that your employee was paid in the 'relevant period' (the period used to calculate average weekly earnings). The calculator will work out this period for you
  • The date your employee started working for you.

To work out how much OSPP you will have to pay when the child has been adopted from abroad you will need:

  • A declaration of family commitment signed by the employee. This can either be form SC5 or your own version of the form.
  • The date the adopter received official notification from the relevant UK authority of their eligibility to adopt a child from abroad.
  • The date the child enters or is expected to enter the United Kingdom.
  • To check whether your employee's gross earnings attract Class 1 NICs.
  • The date from which your employee wants to be paid OSPP.
  • Your employee's gross pay amounts for the dates that your employee was paid in the ‘relevant period’ (the period used to calculate average weekly earnings). The calculator will work out this period for you.
  • The date your employee started working for you.

To calculate the recovery of OSPP you can get you will need:

  • the amount of OSPP you are liable to pay as calculated by the calculator
  • details of your gross Class 1 NICs liability for the relevant tax year

If you experience problems printing result pages on the calculator try setting the page orientation from portrait to landscape.

Should any faults come to your attention please refer to HMRC's online services page on reporting problems using the link below.

Online services - report a problem

Use our online tool to calculate your employee's Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay

Further help

Calculating and recovering OSPP

Go to E19: Employer Helpbook for Ordinary Statutory and Additional Statutory Paternity Pay

Find contact details for HMRC's Employer Helpline