Northern Ireland has acted to keep statutory parental bereavement pay in place. The Department for the Economy signed the amendment on 19 March 2026 and it took effect on 20 March, removing the ‘expiry’ clause from the 2023 regulations to avoid any gap in support for bereaved parents.

In plain terms, the 2026 change deletes regulation 37 (expiry) from the Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay (General) (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023. The measure is subject to Assembly approval within six months, but protections apply now, giving families and employers clarity while formal sign‑off proceeds.

What remains in force today is straightforward: up to two weeks’ parental bereavement leave and, for those who qualify, statutory pay following the death of a child under 18 or a stillbirth after 24 weeks. Northern Ireland has operated this framework since 6 April 2022, aligning with the wider UK approach. (nidirect.gov.uk)

The next step is already timetabled. From 6 April 2026, Northern Ireland will extend the scheme to cover miscarriage and other pregnancy loss at any stage, with statutory pay becoming a day‑one right. The Department for the Economy set this out in its consultation response, and sector bodies have urged employers to prepare. (economy-ni.gov.uk)

For payroll and HR teams, administration should be light‑touch. HMRC said in February’s Employer Bulletin that, for miscarriage cases from April, employees will provide a simple self‑declaration plus the date the loss was discovered. Update policies and brief managers now so requests are handled promptly and sensitively. (gov.uk)

As with other family‑related payments, statutory parental bereavement pay is paid by employers and reclaimed through PAYE under established HMRC rules. The tax treatment follows HMRC guidance in the Employment Income Manual. (gov.uk)

Firms operating on both sides of the Irish Sea should note divergence. Great Britain plans to introduce bereavement leave for miscarriage through the Employment Rights Bill announced on 7 July 2025, but it is not yet in force; the BBC has reported it would not apply to Northern Ireland. For now, Northern Ireland’s timetable is clearer and earlier. (gov.uk)

Campaigners and professional bodies have long argued that pregnancy loss should be recognised as bereavement, not sickness. The Women and Equalities Committee and the CIPD have both backed statutory miscarriage leave, pressing ministers to embed the change in law. (committees.parliament.uk)

Procedurally, the regulations use Northern Ireland’s confirmatory route: they operate now but must be approved by the Assembly within six months of commencement-by 20 September 2026-allowing scrutiny without exposing parents or employers to a policy gap in the meantime.

For Northern employers with staff in Belfast, Derry or along the border, the task is simple. Refresh handbooks, communicate the right to leave and pay in plain English, and make sure payroll can process claims from 6 April without requesting medical evidence. The policy aim is clear: support grieving parents, not paperwork. (gov.uk)