# Carer's and bereavement leave: UK benchmark 2026

> In 2026, 91.0% of UK employers give statutory unpaid carer's leave only (n = 268), and median paid bereavement leave is 3 days.

Source: https://lumihr.co.uk/research/carers-bereavement-leave-2026
Author: David Whitfield (https://lumihr.co.uk/about/david-whitfield)
Answers: What carer's and bereavement leave do UK employers provide?
Data: lumi reward benchmark · national · collection window 2026 H1
Review by: when the next collection window closes

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*lumi research · Collection window 2026 H1 · By David Whitfield*

**In the lumi reward benchmark, 91.0% of UK organisations provide only statutory unpaid carer's leave, 9.0% pay for some or all of it (4.5% + 4.5%), and paid bereavement leave has a median of 3 days (n = 268, 2026 H1).**

> **Key findings**
> - 91.0% of organisations provide carer's leave at the statutory unpaid level only (n = 268). 9.0% pay for some or all of it (4.5% + 4.5%).
> - For emergency or compassionate leave, the common answer is partial pay decided case by case, at 69.5% (n = 243). 15.6% say paid leave is provided.
> - Paid bereavement leave for the death of a close family member has a median of 3 days, a 25th percentile of 2 days and a 75th percentile of 5 days (n = 268).
> - 50.9% have no specific provision for paid pregnancy loss leave (n = 267). 31.5% answered "Discretionary" and 17.6% have a paid policy.
> - 64.0% offer no backup or emergency care days (n = 267). 21.7% provide eldercare support services (n = 267).
> - 23.3% provide counselling as bereavement support beyond leave (n = 266). 66.5% chose "None".
> - 64.8% provide neither paid leave nor formal support for employees experiencing domestic abuse (n = 267). 13.1% provide both.

## About the data

This paper reports how UK employers answered lumi's questions on carer's, bereavement and compassionate leave. The lumi reward benchmark covers 269 UK organisations across 14 sectors and five size bands. Data was collected in the 2026 H1 collection window. Each figure gives its base (n): the number of organisations that answered that question. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place, so a distribution can add up to 100.1%. Figures here are national. Sector and size comparisons are available to lumi members. See [how lumi works](/methodology) for the method.

## The legal context

The GOV.UK employment rights timeline (updated 25 August 2026) lists bereavement leave, including for pregnancy loss, among the changes expected in 2027. The timing is to be confirmed. The figures in this paper record employer provision in the 2026 H1 collection window, ahead of that change.

The carer's leave question asks what employers provide above the statutory unpaid entitlement. Its figures describe what employers add to that entitlement.

The care support services covered here, such as backup care days, eldercare support, childcare support and bereavement counselling, are not set by statute.

## Do UK employers pay for carer's or compassionate leave?

The benchmark asks: *What carer's leave do you provide above the statutory unpaid entitlement?* (n = 268). "Statutory unpaid only" is the common answer, chosen by 91.0% (244 organisations). "Some paid days" and "Fully paid carer's leave" were each chosen by 4.5% (12 organisations each). Both are rare. Taken together, 9.0% pay for at least part of carer's leave (4.5% + 4.5%).

For someone designing carer's leave, this places any paid provision in a small group within the benchmark. The question does not record how many paid days are given, or how each employer defines a carer.

A second question is broader: *Do you provide paid emergency or compassionate leave?* (n = 243).

| Answer | % of base | Organisations | Prevalence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partially paid (case-by-case) | 69.5% | 169 | common |
| Yes - paid leave is provided | 15.6% | 38 | rare |
| Unpaid only | 10.3% | 25 | rare |
| No specific provision | 4.5% | 11 | rare |

"Partially paid (case-by-case)" is the common answer, at 69.5%. "Yes - paid leave is provided" is rare, at 15.6%. Adding the two, 85.1% pay for emergency or compassionate leave in full or in part (69.5% + 15.6%). The other two answers, "Unpaid only" and "No specific provision", total 14.8% (10.3% + 4.5%).

The common approach leaves the level of pay to a decision made when the need arises. That gives managers room to respond to the circumstances of each case. It also means an employee may not know in advance what they will be paid.

Read together, the two questions show different approaches. For carer's leave, the common answer is statutory unpaid only. For emergency or compassionate leave, it is partial pay decided case by case.

## How many days of paid bereavement leave do UK employers give?

The benchmark asks: *How many days of paid bereavement leave do you provide for the death of a close family member?* (n = 268). The median answer is 3 days. The 25th percentile is 2 days and the 75th percentile is 5 days. Answers range from 0 to 10 days.

For a reward team setting the length of a bereavement policy, these figures give reference points. A policy of 2 days sits at the 25th percentile, 3 days at the median and 5 days at the 75th percentile. The lowest answer, 0 days, shows that at least one organisation gives no paid bereavement leave for a close family member. The question covers a close family member only. It does not measure leave for other relationships, how employers define "close", or whether the days can be taken separately.

On pregnancy loss, the benchmark asks: *Do you provide paid leave for pregnancy loss / miscarriage?* (n = 267). "No specific provision" is the common answer, at 50.9% (136 organisations). "Discretionary" is an alternative answer, at 31.5% (84). "Paid policy" is rare, at 17.6% (47). The three answers are reported separately: "Discretionary" records that any leave is decided case by case, not a paid entitlement, so it is not added to "Paid policy" here.

"Discretionary" is chosen more often than a paid policy. Discretion lets an employer respond to each case without committing to a set entitlement. A written policy tells employees what to expect before they need it. "No specific provision" does not show what time off, if any, is given in practice. The statutory bereavement leave expected in 2027 includes pregnancy loss, so this is the question in this paper closest to the legal change.

The benchmark also asks: *What bereavement support is provided beyond leave (e.g. counselling, probate/practical support)?* (n = 266). Organisations could choose more than one option.

| Answer | % of base | Organisations |
|---|---|---|
| None | 66.5% | 177 |
| Counselling | 23.3% | 62 |
| Probate/legal helpline | 9.8% | 26 |
| Financial guidance for dependants | 5.6% | 15 |

66.5% chose "None". Counselling is the support option chosen most often, at 23.3%. Practical support is less frequent. 9.8% offer a probate or legal helpline, and 5.6% offer financial guidance for dependants.

Where support beyond leave exists in this benchmark, it is more often emotional than practical.

## What practical care support do UK employers offer?

The benchmark asks: *Do you offer backup or emergency care days (child or adult dependants)?* (n = 267). "No" is the common answer, at 64.0% (171 organisations). "Discounted access" is an alternative answer, at 26.2% (70). "Yes — funded days" is rare, at 9.7% (26).

The two forms of provision place the cost differently. With discounted access, the employee pays for care at a reduced rate. With funded days, the employer pays.

On care for older relatives, the benchmark asks: *Do you provide eldercare navigation or support services?* (n = 267). "No" is the common answer, at 78.3% (209 organisations). "Yes" is an alternative answer, at 21.7% (58).

Eldercare support services are an alternative answer, while paid carer's leave is rare. The benchmark measures leave and services in separate questions. It cannot show how many organisations offer both, or whether services are offered in place of paid leave.

The benchmark also asks: *Which childcare support do you provide?* (n = 264). Organisations could choose more than one option.

| Answer | % of base | Organisations |
|---|---|---|
| None | 70.5% | 186 |
| Nursery partnership/subsidy | 11.0% | 29 |
| Backup/emergency care | 10.6% | 28 |
| Workplace nursery scheme | 8.7% | 23 |
| Childcare concierge | 1.9% | 5 |

70.5% chose "None". No single form of childcare support was chosen by more than 11.0% of organisations. The next three options are a nursery partnership or subsidy (11.0%), backup or emergency care (10.6%) and a workplace nursery scheme (8.7%). A childcare concierge is chosen by 1.9% (5 organisations).

Backup care appears in both the backup care question and the childcare question. The two questions ask about it in different ways, with different answer options and bases, so their figures are not directly comparable.

## Do UK employers provide paid leave for domestic abuse?

The benchmark asks: *Do you provide paid leave or formal support for employees experiencing domestic abuse?* (n = 267). "Neither" is the common answer, at 64.8% (173 organisations). "Support pathway only" is an alternative answer, at 22.1% (59). "Paid leave plus support pathway" is rare, at 13.1% (35). Adding the two, 35.2% have a formal support pathway, with or without paid leave (22.1% + 13.1%).

The answer options do not include paid leave without a support pathway. Every organisation that reports paid leave here also reports a pathway. A pathway sets out how an employee can raise the issue and what help follows. Paid leave adds time away without loss of pay, for example to attend appointments. Where employers provide something, a pathway alone is chosen more often than a pathway with paid leave.

## What the data means for reward decisions

These figures describe choices, not a standard. An answer chosen by few organisations places an employer in a smaller group on that question, and says nothing more than that. The trade-offs below are the ones these questions raise.

**Paid or unpaid carer's leave.** Paying for carer's leave has a direct cost and needs cover arrangements. Unpaid leave costs less, but lower-paid carers may find it harder to take. A reward manager might ask what the policy is for, how many employees have caring responsibilities, and whether paid days would be used differently from unpaid ones.

**Discretion or a defined entitlement.** Discretion runs through this area. Partial pay decided case by case is the common answer for emergency or compassionate leave, and "Discretionary" is an alternative answer for pregnancy loss. Discretion lets an employer respond to each case and control cost. A defined entitlement gives employees certainty, and it reduces the number of decisions line managers make at a difficult time. The questions here are who decides, what guidance they have, how decisions are recorded, and whether similar cases receive similar treatment.

**The length of bereavement leave.** The median of 3 days and the quartiles of 2 and 5 days give reference points for a policy's length. Related questions include which relationships count as close, whether the days must be taken together, and how bereavement leave sits alongside compassionate leave. The statutory bereavement leave expected in 2027 adds one more: how the current policy would sit alongside a statutory entitlement once its terms are known.

**Leave or services.** Leave gives time away. Services such as counselling, eldercare support, backup care and childcare support help with the tasks and pressures around caring and bereavement. In this benchmark, eldercare support services are an alternative answer (21.7%), while funded backup care days are rare (9.7%). The questions here are which needs the organisation wants to meet, whether leave or a service meets them better, and whether employees know what is available. Support that depends on discretion, or sits outside a written policy, may not be visible to the people who need it.

**Domestic abuse.** A support pathway without paid leave is an alternative answer, and paid leave with a pathway is rare. A reward manager might ask whether a pathway includes time off, how confidentiality is handled, and who an employee can approach first.

## Frequently asked questions

**What percentage of UK employers pay for carer's leave?**

In the lumi reward benchmark, 9.0% of UK organisations pay for some or all of carer's leave (4.5% + 4.5%, n = 268). The other 91.0% provide the statutory unpaid entitlement only. The question does not record how many paid days are given.

**Do UK employers pay for emergency or compassionate leave?**

In the lumi reward benchmark, 85.1% of UK organisations pay for emergency or compassionate leave in full or in part (69.5% + 15.6%, n = 243). Partial pay decided case by case is the most common answer, at 69.5%.

**How many days of paid bereavement leave do UK employers give?**

In the lumi reward benchmark, the median is 3 days of paid bereavement leave for the death of a close family member (n = 268). The 25th percentile is 2 days and the 75th percentile is 5 days, with answers ranging from 0 to 10 days.

**Do UK employers offer paid leave for pregnancy loss or miscarriage?**

In the lumi reward benchmark, 17.6% of UK organisations have a paid policy for pregnancy loss or miscarriage (n = 267). A further 31.5% answered "Discretionary", and 50.9% have no specific provision. The three answers are reported separately, because "Discretionary" records a case-by-case decision rather than a paid entitlement. Statutory bereavement leave covering pregnancy loss is expected in 2027.

**What bereavement support do UK employers provide beyond leave?**

In the lumi reward benchmark, 23.3% of UK organisations provide counselling as bereavement support beyond leave (n = 266), chosen more often than the other support options. 9.8% offer a probate or legal helpline and 5.6% financial guidance for dependants. 66.5% chose "None".

**Do UK employers offer backup care or eldercare support?**

In the lumi reward benchmark, 21.7% of UK organisations provide eldercare navigation or support services and 9.7% offer funded backup or emergency care days (n = 267). A further 26.2% offer discounted access to backup care.

**Do UK employers give paid leave for domestic abuse?**

In the lumi reward benchmark, 13.1% of UK organisations provide paid leave plus a support pathway for employees experiencing domestic abuse (n = 267). With the 22.1% offering a pathway only, 35.2% have a formal pathway (22.1% + 13.1%). 64.8% provide neither.

## Related

- [How to write a carer’s and compassionate leave policy](/guides/how-to-write-carers-compassionate-leave-policy) — turning these benchmarks into a written policy.
- [Maternity, adoption and neonatal pay](/research/maternity-adoption-pay-2026) — what UK employers pay new parents above statutory.
- [Annual leave and holiday pay](/research/annual-leave-holiday-2026) — holiday entitlement benchmarks from the same window.

## Notes

- Base, "Not applicable" handling and rounding as described in "About the data".
- The question on days of paid bereavement leave for the death of a close family member excludes "Not applicable" from the base. One organisation answered N/A, and the base of 268 excludes it. For every other question in this paper, any "Not applicable" answers sit inside the base.
- Bases differ between questions because each base counts the organisations that answered that question.
- Prevalence words are used for single-select and yes/no questions only. "Common" is the most frequently chosen answer. "Alternative" is chosen by 20% or more but is not the most common. "Rare" is chosen by under 20%.
- The bereavement support and childcare support questions are multi-select. Each percentage is the share of the base choosing that option. The percentages can sum to more than 100% and are not added together in this paper.
- Combined figures are sums of the listed, rounded percentages, with the parts shown each time.

## Data appendix

All national figures used in this paper, as recorded in the lumi reward benchmark (collection window 2026 H1).

**What carer's leave do you provide above the statutory unpaid entitlement?**  
Base: 268 organisations

| Answer | % of base | Organisations | Prevalence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statutory unpaid only | 91.0% | 244 | common |
| Some paid days | 4.5% | 12 | rare |
| Fully paid carer's leave | 4.5% | 12 | rare |

**Do you provide paid emergency or compassionate leave?**  
Base: 243 organisations

| Answer | % of base | Organisations | Prevalence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partially paid (case-by-case) | 69.5% | 169 | common |
| Yes - paid leave is provided | 15.6% | 38 | rare |
| Unpaid only | 10.3% | 25 | rare |
| No specific provision | 4.5% | 11 | rare |

**How many days of paid bereavement leave do you provide for the death of a close family member?**  
Base: 268 organisations · "Not applicable" excluded from base

Median 3 · 25th percentile 2 · 75th percentile 5 · range 0 to 10 days

**Do you provide paid leave for pregnancy loss / miscarriage?**  
Base: 267 organisations

| Answer | % of base | Organisations | Prevalence |
|---|---|---|---|
| No specific provision | 50.9% | 136 | common |
| Discretionary | 31.5% | 84 | alternative |
| Paid policy | 17.6% | 47 | rare |

**Do you offer backup or emergency care days (child or adult dependants)?**  
Base: 267 organisations

| Answer | % of base | Organisations | Prevalence |
|---|---|---|---|
| No | 64.0% | 171 | common |
| Discounted access | 26.2% | 70 | alternative |
| Yes — funded days | 9.7% | 26 | rare |

**Do you provide eldercare navigation or support services?**  
Base: 267 organisations

| Answer | % of base | Organisations | Prevalence |
|---|---|---|---|
| No | 78.3% | 209 | common |
| Yes | 21.7% | 58 | alternative |

**Which childcare support do you provide?**  
Base: 264 organisations · more than one answer allowed

| Answer | % of base | Organisations |
|---|---|---|
| None | 70.5% | 186 |
| Nursery partnership/subsidy | 11.0% | 29 |
| Backup/emergency care | 10.6% | 28 |
| Workplace nursery scheme | 8.7% | 23 |
| Childcare concierge | 1.9% | 5 |

**What bereavement support is provided beyond leave (e.g. counselling, probate/practical support)?**  
Base: 266 organisations · more than one answer allowed

| Answer | % of base | Organisations |
|---|---|---|
| None | 66.5% | 177 |
| Counselling | 23.3% | 62 |
| Probate/legal helpline | 9.8% | 26 |
| Financial guidance for dependants | 5.6% | 15 |

**Do you provide paid leave or formal support for employees experiencing domestic abuse?**  
Base: 267 organisations

| Answer | % of base | Organisations | Prevalence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither | 64.8% | 173 | common |
| Support pathway only | 22.1% | 59 | alternative |
| Paid leave plus support pathway | 13.1% | 35 | rare |

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