From the 3 April 2011 statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay will increase from £124.88 a week to £128.73 a weeks or 90 per cent of your average weekly earnings if that is less.

The same date also saw changes to maternity and paternity leave with the introduction of additional paternity leave for fathers with babies due on or after 3 April 2011. The additional paternity leave is for a maximum of 26 weeks and can be taken if the mother returns to work without taking all of her maternity leave and the child is over 20 weeks old and before their first birthday.

The employee will only receive additional statutory paternity pay (ASPP) during the time their partner would have been receiving statutory maternity pay

Under the previous legislation fathers were only entitled to two weeks paternity leave and mothers 52 weeks maternity leave, of which 39 weeks were paid.