Education and Child Matters

I AM L.I.P

I am a Litigant In Person

Form SC3

Form Used To Claim Statutory Paternity Pay & Leave

 

WHAT IS FORM SC3 USED FOR?

Form SC3 is used to claim statutory (permitted by law or a requirement by law) paternity pay and leave if you are an employee and you become a birth parent. It is a self certification form.

Once this form is completed it must be given to your employer.

Statutory paternity leave is the permitted time an employee is allowed to take off when they are the biological father or their partner has had a baby themselves, through surrogacy (if they consented to the surrogacy) or through adoption. Paternity leave is 1 – 2 weeks. 

You cannot have paternity leave before the birth of your baby or an adopted child has been placed with you. You have to take paternity leave in one go and within 8 weeks of your baby being born or adopted. 

How can you qualify statutory paternity pay & leave?

  1. You have to be an employee.
  2. You have to tell your employer more than 15 weeks before your baby is due when you would like your paternity leave to start. It is advisable to do this in writing. Your employer will confirm in writing what you have asked within 28 days. This letter will state your start and end dates for your paternity leave.
  3. You must earn on average £123,00 a week for at least 8 weeks before you qualify.
  4. You must have worked for your employer for 26 weeks before qualifying. 
  5. If you and your partner are adopting a child, to qualify for paternity leave you have been an employee where you work for 26 weeks before you are informed you have been matched with a child or your child enters the UK if it is an overseas adoption. 
  6. When it comes to surrogacy, neither partner is entitled to statutory maternity leave. However, one partner can take paternity leave and one can take adoption leave. 
When are the start dates for your statutory paternity leave?
 

You can start your paternity leave as per the following:

  1. From the date your baby is born
  2. Within 8 weeks after your baby being born or expected to be born as long as it is agreed with your employer.
  3. From when your adoption placement starts
  4. Within 8 weeks after the adoption placement starts as long as it is agreed with your employer.
  5. From the day or day after your surrogate baby is born.
  6. From the date your overseas adopted child arrives in the UK or a date soon after as long as it is agreed with your employer
How much is paid during statutory paternity leave?
 

Paternity leave is paid leave. You will get paid for both weeks of your paternity leave. You will get one of the following depending which one is lower.

  1. £156.66 per week or
  2. 90% of your average weekly wages.

Tax and national insurance is deducted from statutory paternity pay.

If you would like to check whether you are entitled to paternity leave or pay please click the link below. 
 

ARE THERE ANY GOVERNMENT OR OUR OWN L.I.P HELP GUIDES OR WRITE UPS TO HELP YOU COMPLETE FORM SC3?

There is a government webpage called ‘paternity pay and leave’ that can help you. Please click on the link below.

LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBPAGE FOR PATERNITY PAY & LEAVE

For background information you can read our webpage for statutory paternity pay and leave

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR STATUTORY PATERNITY PAY & LEAVE 

WHAT IS THE FEE TO GIVE FORM SC3 TO YOUR EMPLOYER?

There is no fee to give this form to your employer. 

HOW TO COMPLETE FORM SC3 AND WHERE TO SEND IT

  • NOTE 1 – You can complete form SC3 online, then download it and send it to your employer attached to an email. You can also print a hard copy and post or give this copy to your employer. 
  • NOTE 2 – When you complete form SC3 online, the system will not allow you to save the form online and come back to it later. You must complete it in one go so please make sure you have any documents, dates and evidence on hand.
  • NOTE 3 – As stated above please give your completed form to your employer. 
  • NOTE 4 – Please keep a copy of your form SC3 and any attachments for yourself outside of the ones you give to your employer.  
  • Please click on the following link and click the green start button

LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE FOR FORM SC3

  •  The first webpage will ask you if you or your partner are becoming adoptive parents or parental order parents (have had a child through surrogacy). If you click yes then you will be taken to a webpage where you will be asked to complete another form. You will be asked to complete form SC4 if you are becoming an adoptive or parental order parent. You will be asked to complete form SC5 if you are adopting a child from abroad. If you click no then you will be taken to the next webpage.

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR FORM SC4

LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR FORM SC5

  • The next webpage will ask you if you are the biological father of the child.
  • From now on the webpage you will get in front of you will depend upon your answers. The questions are easy to understand and answer.
  • You will be asked whether you will use your paternity leave to care for the child and for your personal details. 

WHERE CAN YOU FIND FORM SC3/DOWNLOAD THIS FORM?

Please click on the link below to access form SC3 from the government website. 

LINK TO GOVERNMENT WEBSITE FOR FORM SC3

WHEN WAS FORM Sc3 FIRST PUBLISHED AND LAST UPDATED?

Form Sc3 was first published by the government (HM Revenue & Customs) on 10-06-2014 and it was last updated on 18-07-2022

Form SC3