Bereavement Leave: The New UK Right From April 2027

From April 2027, employees in Great Britain are set to gain a day-one right to two weeks’ unpaid bereavement leave when a close family member dies, and a separate right to up to two weeks’ unpaid leave after a pregnancy loss. The Government confirmed the design of both rights on 22 September 2026, and the detail will be set out in secondary legislation to be made during 2027. Until that happens, there is no general statutory right to time off when someone dies — only a narrower right for bereaved parents. This page sets out what is changing, what applies in the meantime, and where the official information sits.

What has actually been decided

The new rights come from the Employment Rights Act 2025. The Government ran a consultation, Make Work Pay: leave for bereavement including pregnancy loss , which opened at 9am on 23 October 2025 and closed at 11:59pm on 15 January 2026. It covered four things: who should be eligible, which types of pregnancy loss should be in scope, when and how the leave could be taken, and what notice or evidence an employer could ask for. The Government’s response was published on 22 September 2026.

Announcing the outcome, the Minister for the Future of Work, Kate Dearden, said: “No one should have to fight for time to grieve.” The same announcement records that more than eight in ten employers and nine in ten business representative organisations who responded supported bereavement leave.

The Government’s own Employment Rights Act timeline on GOV.UK , last updated on 14 October 2026, lists “bereavement leave including pregnancy loss” among the measures taking effect in 2027.

Who will qualify

The announcement sets out that bereavement leave will be available to employees who lose a:

• spouse or partner
• parent
• adult child
• sibling

Step, half, adoptive, kinship care and foster relationships are included. Pregnancy loss leave is for losses before 24 weeks, and the announcement specifies that it covers miscarriage, terminations and unsuccessful IVF embryo transfers. It applies to women and their partners, including the other biological parent and intended parents in a surrogacy arrangement.

It is a day-one right, meaning there is no qualifying period of service. The leave is unpaid.

How much time, and when it can be taken

Legal analysis of the Government response by Pinsent Masons, published on 24 September 2026, records the entitlement as two weeks of unpaid leave calculated according to the employee’s normal working pattern , with up to two weeks also available for pregnancy loss.

Two features matter in practice:

It does not have to be taken in one block. The GOV.UK announcement confirms the leave can be taken as single days, and within 56 weeks of the loss. That is a long window by design. It allows someone to take a day for the funeral, another for the reading of a will or an inquest, and another for an anniversary, rather than spending the entitlement in the first fortnight when very little can realistically be settled.

Notice is deliberately light. For leave taken in the first eight weeks after a bereavement, an employee need only notify their employer as soon as reasonably practicable. The announcement also states that no evidence of the loss can be required, and that employees are protected from detriment or dismissal for taking the leave.

Because the mechanics will be set in secondary legislation, treat the fine detail as settled in principle but not yet in law. As of October 2026 the regulations have not been made.

What applies between now and April 2027

As of October 2026, there is no general statutory right to bereavement leave in Great Britain. The exception is Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay, which applies to a child who dies under the age of 18 or a stillbirth from 24 weeks of pregnancy.

GOV.UK sets that entitlement at two weeks’ leave from the first day of employment for each child who has died or was stillborn. It can be taken as two weeks together, as two separate weeks, or as a single week, and must finish within 56 weeks of the date of death or stillbirth. Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay, where the eligibility conditions are met, is £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.

Outside that, time off currently depends on the employment contract, any company compassionate leave policy, and the separate statutory right to reasonable unpaid time off to deal with an emergency involving a dependant. Many employers offer more than the law requires. If you are not sure what your own contract provides, your staff handbook or HR contact is the first place to look, not the legislation.

The practical steps that still have deadlines

Leave entitlements are only one part of the immediate administration, and some of the other steps are time-limited. GOV.UK’s guidance on what to do after someone dies says a death should be registered within five days of receiving the medical examiner’s confirmation in England and Wales — including weekends and bank holidays — and within eight days in Scotland. If more time is needed, the register office should be told straight away.

That guidance also explains the medical examiner’s role: a senior doctor who was not involved in the person’s care checks that the cause of death is accurate, and their office then contacts the family to explain the cause of death and answer questions. Speaking to them is voluntary.

It also describes Tell Us Once, which lets you inform the relevant government departments about a death in one step. Organisations outside government — employers, banks, utility companies and insurers — still need to be contacted separately.

Frequently asked questions

Will the new bereavement leave be paid? No. The Government’s September 2026 announcement describes it as unpaid leave. Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay remains a separate, narrower entitlement with its own eligibility rules.

Does it cover the death of a grandparent, grandchild, aunt or uncle? The published list covers spouse or partner, parent, adult child and sibling, including step, half, adoptive, kinship care and foster relationships. Wider relationships are not in that list. Contractual or discretionary compassionate leave may still apply.

Can an employer ask for a death certificate? Under the announced design, no evidence of the loss can be required. Employers may still have their own expectations for contractual compassionate leave, which sits outside the statutory right.

What should I do if I need time off before April 2027? Check your contract and any compassionate leave policy first, and speak to your employer early. If a child under 18 has died or there has been a stillbirth from 24 weeks, check your eligibility for Statutory Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay on GOV.UK.