Shared Parental Leave Mortgage FAQ
General information only. This is not financial advice.
Last reviewed: 2026-06-06
Can I get a mortgage while on shared parental leave?
Yes. As with maternity leave, lenders are required to assess your full returning salary rather than your current Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) entitlement. You will need to evidence your pre-leave salary (recent payslips before leave started, P60), a letter from your employer confirming the return-to-work date and the salary you will return on, and your current ShPP entitlement (statutory or enhanced). Most lenders require the application to complete within 6–12 months of the return-to-work date, though policies vary. Having both partners on leave simultaneously is unusual but manageable — a broker will help you identify which lenders have the most accommodating policies.
How does shared parental leave differ from maternity leave for mortgage purposes?
Mechanically, lenders treat SPL the same way as maternity leave: they use the returning salary, not the leave pay. The practical differences are: (1) Either partner can take SPL, so both applicants may simultaneously be on reduced pay, which is rarer with maternity leave. (2) SPL periods can be taken flexibly in blocks ("SPLIT days"), which makes income harder to predict — show evidence of which periods are agreed leave and which are working. (3) Statutory SPL pay (ShPP) is £184.03/week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, for up to 37 weeks. Enhanced SPL pay (employer top-up) varies significantly — confirm the enhanced entitlement in writing from your employer before applying.
What documentation do lenders need during shared parental leave?
Typical documentation requirements: (1) Last 3 payslips before leave began, showing the pre-leave salary. (2) Most recent payslip showing ShPP payments. (3) Employer letter confirming: job title, contract type (permanent/fixed-term), return-to-work date, returning salary, and whether enhanced SPL pay applies. (4) P60 for the most recent tax year. (5) Copy of the SPL agreement (the formal notification you gave your employer). Some lenders additionally require the MATB1 or birth certificate. Prepare all documents before approaching lenders — incomplete packages slow the process significantly.
Can I include my partner's income if they are also on shared parental leave?
Yes, on a joint application. Lenders will assess both partners using their respective returning salaries. If both partners are simultaneously on leave, you will need employer letters for both, evidencing both return-to-work dates and salaries. The lender will use the returning salaries for affordability but will typically want confirmation that leave ends and both partners return to work before or shortly after mortgage completion. In practice, most lenders want at least one partner to be actively working at the time of application — check with your broker if both of you are on leave at the same time.
Does paternity leave affect a mortgage application differently from shared parental leave?
Statutory paternity leave is 1–2 weeks at Statutory Paternity Pay (SPP) — currently £184.03/week or 90% of average earnings, whichever is lower. This is a short period and most lenders will simply use the pre-leave salary from recent payslips, treating the leave as a brief interruption. SPL is longer and more variable, which requires more documentation. If you are the secondary carer taking a short paternity block rather than an extended SPL period, the mortgage process is generally straightforward. The key is to have your returning salary confirmed by your employer and to time the application so that it completes around your return date.
Will taking shared parental leave affect how much I can borrow?
Temporarily, yes — during the leave period, your take-home pay is lower, which may affect a lender's stress test if they use current pay rather than returning salary. Most lenders who are experienced with parental leave will use the full returning salary for affordability, which means your borrowing capacity should be the same as if you were still working full-time. However, lenders that only look at the last 3 months of payslips without adjusting for leave may calculate a lower figure. This is why choosing the right lender through a broker is important — the difference in borrowing capacity between lenders can be significant when one or both partners are on reduced pay.
Risk warning
Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Statutory pay rates and shared parental leave entitlements may change — verify current figures at gov.uk before making financial decisions based on them.
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