SPM172300 | Average Weekly Earnings (AWE): AWE SPBP(NI)

This page is for use for SPBP for employed earners gainfully employed in Northern Ireland from 6 April 2026.

For Average Weekly Earnings for SPBP for Great Britain (England, Scotland & Wales) and for Northern Ireland before 6 April 2026 please see SPM171000.

SPBP(NI) is a day 1 right and AWE is calculated using actual earnings, expected earnings or a combination of both.

A person’s normal AWE for any continuous period of 8 weeks falling within the relevant window is not less than the lower earnings limit in force at the end of the relevant week.

“relevant week” means the week immediately before the one in which the child dies

“relevant window” is the period consisting of—

(a) the 8 weeks ending with the relevant week, and

(b) the 8 weeks immediately following that week.

Normal weekly earnings after the date on which the child dies are the person’s expected normal weekly earnings for that period.

Calculating a person’s normal weekly earnings—

to calculate a person’s normal weekly earnings for any period ending on the first day of bereavement use the earnings which have been paid to the person under the contract of service in the period (which will be added to any expected normal weekly earnings to provide the person’s normal weekly earnings).

Calculating expected normal weekly earnings

A person’s expected normal weekly earnings are the average weekly earnings which the person could reasonably be expected to earn;

expected earnings will be added to any normal weekly earnings for the week in question to provide the person’s normal weekly earnings for that week

In calculating a person’s expected normal weekly earnings consider:

· the person’s contractual rate of pay;

· the person’s normal working hours;

· any earnings paid to the person which are considered representative of the person’s weekly earnings;

· any other information which is reasonable to take into account for the purpose of calculating the person’s expected normal weekly earnings.

A person’s expected normal weekly earnings should be calculated with the assumption that the person’s employment with the employer will continue for the remainder of the period of 8 weeks (even if the person’s employment is due to end before the end of that period).

The employees gross AWE are calculated from the total earnings paid during the relevant period divided by the number of weeks in that period. However, if the employee is not paid weekly, it may be necessary to adjust the calculation to obtain a weekly average

Legislation

Regulation 19, 19A, 20, 21, 22 of The Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (General) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023.