Free guidance on adoption leave, statutory adoption pay, time off for appointments, shared parental leave for adoptive parents, and your employment protections throughout the adoption process.
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Eligible employees are entitled to 52 weeks' statutory adoption leave (26 ordinary + 26 additional) from day one. Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP) is 90% of average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks, then £187.18 per week for 33 weeks (2025/26).
The primary adopter is entitled to take up to 5 paid days off for pre-adoption appointments. The secondary adopter gets 2 unpaid days. Shared Parental Leave allows the couple to split up to 50 weeks of leave.
Key areas covered: adoption leave, statutory adoption pay, SAP, shared parental leave, time off for appointments. Verified against GOV.UK and ACAS.
For Adoption Rights queries we direct you to official specialist sources. These provide accurate, up-to-date guidance for your situation.
Need free advice? Citizens Advice — citizensadvice.org.uk or call 0800 144 8848 (free).
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UK workers and residents have significant legal protections covering employment, housing, benefits, consumer rights and more. These rights are enshrined in legislation including the Employment Rights Act 1996, the Equality Act 2010, the Housing Act 1988, and the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
UK Work Rights provides free, plain English guidance to help you understand where you stand. Our AI-powered checkers are regularly updated against GOV.UK, ACAS, Shelter, and Citizens Advice to ensure accuracy. We cover over 70 free AI rights checkers and 36 guides across employment, housing, benefits, consumer, driving, family and more.
While our guidance covers the vast majority of common situations, complex or high-stakes cases may benefit from professional advice. For employment issues contact ACAS (free) or the Citizens Advice helpline on 0800 144 8848. For housing, Shelter can help on 0808 800 4444.
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