Maternity Pay Calculator UK
Your employer works out your average weekly earnings over the 8 weeks up to and including the 15th week before your baby is due (the qualifying week). This calculator uses your salary divided by 52 as an estimate of that figure — overtime and bonuses in those 8 weeks can move it. Figures are estimates, not advice.
How Statutory Maternity Pay works in 2026/27
SMP is the legal minimum your employer must pay you while you are on maternity leave, if you qualify. It comes in two blocks. For the first 6 weeks you get 90% of your average weekly earnings before tax, with no upper limit — so a high earner gets 90% of a high wage for those 6 weeks. For the following 33 weeks you get the lower of £194.32 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings. The £194.32 rate applies from 5 April 2026. SMP is paid for 39 weeks in total, and it is taxed like normal pay: income tax and National Insurance are deducted through PAYE.
Your maternity leave itself is longer than the pay. Statutory Maternity Leave is 52 weeks: 26 weeks of Ordinary Maternity Leave followed by 26 weeks of Additional Maternity Leave. The last 13 weeks of leave are unpaid unless your employer offers more. You do not have to take all 52 weeks, but you must take at least 2 weeks off after the birth (4 weeks if you work in a factory).
Worked example: £40,000 salary
| Per week | Total | |
|---|---|---|
| Average weekly earnings (£40,000 ÷ 52) | £769.23 | — |
| Weeks 1–6: 90% of earnings | £692.31 | £4,153.85 |
| Weeks 7–39: lower of £194.32 or 90% | £194.32 | £6,412.56 |
| Total SMP over 39 weeks | £271.09 average | £10,566.41 |
Compare that with the same person’s normal take-home pay: on £40,000 with a 5% pension, take-home pay is about £2,559.97 a month. During weeks 7 to 39 of SMP, the gross pay is £194.32 a week — roughly £842 a month before tax. That is the gap most families have to plan for, and it is why the first 6 weeks at 90% matter so much.
What SMP looks like at different salaries
| Annual salary | Average weekly pay | Weeks 1–6 (per week) | Weeks 7–39 (per week) | Total 39 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £20,000 | £384.62 | £346.15 | £194.32 | £8,489.48 |
| £25,000 | £480.77 | £432.69 | £194.32 | £9,008.71 |
| £30,000 | £576.92 | £519.23 | £194.32 | £9,527.94 |
| £40,000 | £769.23 | £692.31 | £194.32 | £10,566.41 |
| £60,000 | £1,153.85 | £1,038.46 | £194.32 | £12,643.33 |
| £11,232 (£216/wk) | £216.00 | £194.40 | £194.32 | £7,578.96 |
The last row shows the crossover point. If you earn about £216 a week or less, 90% of your earnings is below £194.32, so the 90% figure is what you get for all 39 weeks. Above that, the flat £194.32 rate takes over from week 7.
Who qualifies for SMP?
Three tests, all checked by your employer:
- 26 weeks of continuous employment. You must have worked for the same employer for at least 26 weeks, continuing into the qualifying week — the 15th week before the week your baby is due. If you started a new job recently, check this date first: it is the most common reason SMP is refused.
- Average earnings of at least £129 a week. This is the Lower Earnings Limit for 2026/27. It is worked out over the 8 weeks up to and including the qualifying week. At £129 a week, 90% is £116.10 a week.
- Notice. You must tell your employer at least 15 weeks before the baby is due, and give them your MAT B1 certificate from your midwife or doctor.
If you do not qualify for SMP, you may be able to claim Maternity Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions instead: £194.32 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that is lower, for up to 39 weeks. Self-employed mothers usually claim Maternity Allowance rather than SMP.
Does your employer pay more than SMP?
Many employers do. Occupational maternity pay — sometimes called enhanced maternity pay or company maternity pay — is set by your contract or staff handbook and is paid on top of, or instead of, SMP for some of the leave. It is very common in the NHS, the civil service, schools and large companies. This calculator shows the statutory minimum only. If your employer tops SMP up, your real pay will be higher than the figure here. Ask your HR team for the maternity policy and the exact weeks at full pay, half pay and statutory pay before you plan your budget.
Shared Parental Pay works on the same rate: £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. If you and your partner share the leave, the same 39 paid weeks are split between you.
Planning your maternity budget
The cashflow shape of maternity leave catches many families out. The first 6 weeks are the best-paid part of the leave, and then income drops sharply at week 7 — on a £40,000 salary, from £692.31 a week to £194.32 a week. Plan the budget around the lower figure, not the higher one. A useful exercise is to live on the week-7 income for a month before the baby arrives, and put the difference aside: it tests whether the budget works and builds a buffer at the same time.
Two other payments help. Child Benefit is £27.05 a week for your eldest or only child and £17.90 a week for each additional child in 2026/27, usually paid every 4 weeks. Claim it even if you think you earn too much: if either parent’s adjusted net income is over £60,000, the High Income Child Benefit Charge claws some or all of it back (all of it at £80,000), but claiming still protects your National Insurance credits. You can also work up to 10 Keeping in Touch (KIT) days during maternity leave, agreed with your employer and paid at your normal rate, without ending your leave. If you share leave with your partner, there are up to 20 Shared Parental Leave in Touch (SPLIT) days as well.
Your right to return matters too. If you take 26 weeks or less, you have the right to return to the same job. If you take more than 26 weeks, you have the right to return to the same job or a suitable alternative on no less favourable terms. Your employer must also keep paying into your pension while you are on paid maternity leave, based on your normal salary rather than your SMP — check that this is happening on your payslips, because it is a common payroll error.
Related: Take Home Pay Calculator · Statutory Sick Pay UK · Redundancy Pay Calculator
Sources: GOV.UK “Maternity pay and leave” (pay, eligibility, 52 weeks of leave); HMRC “Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027” (SMP £194.32 from 5 April 2026; Lower Earnings Limit £129). Checked 13 November 2026.