Absences

With effect from 6 April 2025, there is a new statutory entitlement for employed parents whose child receives neonatal care starting within 28 days of birth and goes on to spend seven or more continuous days in care. Eligible parents will be entitled to up to 12 weeks of neonatal care leave in addition to existing entitlement such as maternity, adoption and paternity leave. The leave must be taken within 68 weeks of the baby’s birth. The entitlement applies to children born after 5 April 2025.

Scheme members on paid neonatal care leave are treated as receiving assumed pensionable pay. You would continue to build up a pension in the LGPS as if you were working normally and receiving normal pay. However, any basic pension contributions will be based on the pay you actually receive, not the assumed pensionable pay.

Any period of unpaid neonatal care leave will not count for pension purposes unless you elect to pay additional pension contributions (APCs) to buy back the 'lost' pension.