Although the Parental Bereavement Pay (Pay and Leave) Act was introduced in 2018 it was then scheduled that employed parents who lose a child who is under the age of 18 will start receiving 2 weeks paid parental bereavement leave from April 2020.
Initially proposed by the government to be taken within 56 days of the death of the child following the consultation period this can now be taken within 56 weeks of the date of death of the child.
Parents will receive what will be known as “statutory parental bereavement pay” during the said 2 weeks. The statutory rate is currently £145.18 per week, and to be eligible to receive the 2 weeks statutory pay, the employed parent must have a minimum of 26 weeks service with the employer with average earnings that meet the lower earnings limit (currently, £116.00 per week).
The 2 weeks can be taken as one block or 2 single blocks of one week.
In terms of who is entitled to receive paid parental bereavement leave, a “bereaved parent” has been broadly defined as a “primary carer” who had a relationship with the deceased child which, was “parental” in nature.