Maternity Pay Calculator UK 2026
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Checking You Are Eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay
Working out your maternity pay does not have to be complicated. This guide covers everything you need to know about Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) in the UK for 2026, from the eligibility rules to the exact amounts you can expect week by week. Whether you are currently pregnant, planning ahead, or simply want to check your entitlement, you will find clear and up-to-date information here.
From 6 April 2026, the standard weekly rate of Statutory Maternity Pay rises to £194.32. Use the sections below to understand how SMP is calculated, how long it lasts, and what enhanced or additional pay options may be available to you.
Statutory Maternity Pay is the minimum maternity pay that eligible employees in England, Scotland, and Wales are legally entitled to receive. It is paid by your employer and funded largely through HMRC. Before you can receive it, you must meet all four of the following conditions.
1. You Must Be an Employee
You need to be classed as an employee, not self-employed. This includes workers on a zero-hours contract if they meet the other criteria. If you are a director of your own limited company and are paid through PAYE, you may also qualify.
2. You Must Have Worked for Your Employer Long Enough
You need to have been continuously employed by the same employer for at least 26 weeks by the end of the 15th week before your baby’s due date. This is known as the Qualifying Week (QW). It falls approximately 15 weeks before your due date, so roughly when you are around 25 weeks pregnant.
Breaks in employment for annual leave, sick leave, or even if you work part-time do not break continuity of service, provided you remain on your employer’s payroll throughout.
3. Your Earnings Must Reach the Lower Earnings Limit
Your average weekly gross pay must be at least £129 (the Lower Earnings Limit from 6 April 2026, increased from £125) in the eight weeks leading up to and including your Qualifying Week. If your earnings average below this threshold, you will not qualify for SMP but may be eligible for Maternity Allowance instead, see GOV.UK for details.
4. You Must Still Be Pregnant at the Start of Your Maternity Leave
You must either still be pregnant in the 11th week before your baby’s due date, or have already given birth by then. Your maternity pay cannot start more than 11 weeks before the week your baby is due.
Quick Eligibility Summary Table
Eligibility Condition | Requirement (from 6 April 2026) |
Employment status | Must be an employee (PAYE) |
Length of service | 26 weeks by the Qualifying Week |
Minimum earnings | Average £129 per week in the 8 weeks before the QW |
Pregnancy / birth status | Still pregnant or given birth by 11 weeks before due date |
If you do not meet all of these conditions, you will not receive SMP. However, you might still qualify for Maternity Allowance (MA), which is a government benefit paid through Jobcentre Plus. This applies to workers who are self-employed, have recently changed jobs, or have not worked long enough at their current employer. You can check your eligibility on GOV.UK’s Pay and Leave for Parents calculator.
If you have been dismissed, made redundant, or your employment ended after the start of your Qualifying Week, you may still be entitled to SMP, contact HMRC’s Statutory Payment Disputes Team if you believe your employer has wrongly refused to pay.
How Much Statutory Maternity Pay You Get and How Long For
Statutory Maternity Pay is paid for a maximum of 39 weeks. From 6 April 2026, the rates are as follows:
Period | Rate (from 6 April 2026) |
First 6 weeks | 90% of your average weekly earnings (AWE) before tax — no cap |
Remaining 33 weeks | £194.32 per week OR 90% of AWE, whichever is lower |
In other words, the higher earners will cap at £194.32 from week seven, while lower earners will continue receiving 90% of their own average pay throughout the full 39 weeks if that figure is below £194.32.
SMP is taxable income. You will pay income tax and National Insurance on it in the normal way, just as you would with your regular wages. Your employer pays SMP to you in the same manner your salary is usually paid, monthly or weekly, and you then receive it with the standard deductions applied.
How Your Average Weekly Earnings Are Calculated
Your Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) are based on your gross pay over roughly the 8 weeks immediately before your Qualifying Week. Specifically, your employer uses the pay period ending on or before the last Saturday of the 15th week before your due date.
This calculation includes:
- Regular salary or wages
- Overtime pay (where it falls within the 8-week calculation window)
- Bonuses and commission that are paid in this period
- Statutory sick pay received during this window
- Back pay covering this period
It does not include items such as expenses, employer pension contributions, or any non-cash benefits.
If you received a pay rise at any point between the start of your 8-week calculation window and the end of your maternity leave, your employer must recalculate your SMP using the higher pay rate, this is a legal requirement.
Worked Examples: Calculating Your SMP
Example 1: Higher Earner
Sarah earns £400 per week before tax. Her AWE is £400.
- Weeks 1–6: 90% of £400 = £360 per week
- Weeks 7–39: £194.32 per week (as 90% of £400 = £360 is above the cap)
- Total SMP over 39 weeks: (6 × £360) + (33 × £194.32) = £2,160 + £6,412.56 = £8,572.56
Example 2: Lower Earner
Anna earns £170 per week before tax. Her AWE is £170.
- Weeks 1–6: 90% of £170 = £153 per week
- Weeks 7–39: £153 per week (as 90% of £170 = £153 is below the cap of £194.32)
- Total SMP over 39 weeks: 39 × £153 = £5,967
Example 3: Variable Pay
Maria works shifts and earns between £130 and £250 each week. Her average over the 8-week calculation period comes to £185 per week.
- Weeks 1–6: 90% of £185 = £166.50 per week
- Weeks 7–39: £166.50 per week (as 90% of £185 = £166.50 is below the cap)
- Total SMP over 39 weeks: 39 × £166.50 = £6,493.50
When Does SMP Start and End?
Your SMP starts on the same day as your maternity leave. You cannot receive SMP while you are still working, and it cannot begin more than 11 weeks before the week your baby is due.
There is one exception: if you go off work with a pregnancy-related illness in the four weeks before your baby’s due date, your SMP will start automatically from the day after your first day of absence, even if you had not intended to start your leave yet.
SMP runs for a maximum of 39 weeks. If you return to work before the 39 weeks are up, your SMP ends on the day you go back.
What About the Unpaid 13 Weeks?
Statutory Maternity Leave in the UK lasts up to 52 weeks in total. SMP only covers 39 of those weeks. The final 13 weeks of maternity leave are unpaid (unless your employer offers enhanced pay). You are still entitled to take them as leave, and your employment rights, including the right to return to your job, remain fully protected during this time.
Do Multiple Babies Affect SMP?
No. Whether you are expecting twins, triplets, or more, your SMP is calculated in exactly the same way. You still receive SMP for 39 weeks based on your own AWE. There is no additional SMP for each extra baby.
Enhanced Maternity Pay
Statutory Maternity Pay is the legal minimum. Many employers choose to offer more than this through what is known as enhanced or contractual maternity pay. This is not a legal requirement, but it is increasingly common, particularly in larger organisations, the public sector, and companies that are actively competing for talent.
What Is Enhanced Maternity Pay?
Enhanced maternity pay is any maternity pay that exceeds what the law requires. Your employer sets the terms, so the exact package varies enormously between organisations. Common examples include:
- Full pay for the first 4, 8, or 12 weeks, followed by standard SMP
- Half pay for a set number of weeks, combined with SMP
- Full pay for the entire first six months, followed by SMP or half pay
- A one-off maternity bonus paid on return to work
There is no standard package, it is entirely up to your employer. The only rule is that enhanced contractual maternity pay must never fall below the statutory minimum at any stage.
Where to Find Your Enhanced Pay Entitlement
Your entitlement to enhanced maternity pay will be written into your employment contract or the company’s maternity policy. If you are unsure what you are entitled to, you should:
- Check your written contract of employment
- Look at your employee handbook or staff policies (often found on an intranet)
- Ask your HR department or line manager directly
If your employer has a maternity policy, they must make it available to all staff. If you discover you are entitled to enhanced pay and your employer does not apply it correctly, this may amount to a breach of contract.
Returning to Work Conditions
Some employers attach a condition to enhanced maternity pay, commonly requiring you to return to work for a set period (often three to six months) after your maternity leave. If you leave without returning, you may be required to repay some or all of the enhanced element of your pay.
This is perfectly legal, provided the condition is set out clearly in your contract or policy before you start your maternity leave. The repayment requirement typically applies only to the top-up above statutory SMP, you cannot be asked to repay your SMP itself.
Always check your contract carefully before deciding not to return to work after enhanced maternity pay.
Enhanced Pay and Shared Parental Leave
If you intend to use Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and your employer offers enhanced maternity pay, it is worth checking whether the same enhanced rate applies to Shared Parental Pay. Some employers apply the same generous rate to both; others stick to the statutory rate for SPL. Courts and tribunals have generally found that offering different rates for maternity leave and SPL is not automatically discriminatory, but this is an evolving area of law.
Neonatal Care Pay
From 6 April 2025, a new statutory right came into force in the UK: Statutory Neonatal Care Pay (SNCP) and Neonatal Care Leave. This is entirely separate from, and additional to, Statutory Maternity Pay. If your baby requires neonatal care after birth, you could be entitled to extra paid time off beyond your standard maternity leave.
What Is Neonatal Care Pay?
Statutory Neonatal Care Pay is paid leave for parents whose newborn baby requires specialist neonatal care. It gives eligible parents the right to additional paid leave on top of their existing maternity, paternity, adoption, or shared parental leave. It is designed to ensure that parents do not lose maternity or other leave time while their baby is receiving hospital care.
From 6 April 2026, the rate of SNCP increases to £194.32 per week (up from £187.18), or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
Who Qualifies for Neonatal Care Leave and Pay?
To qualify, the following conditions must be met:
- Your baby must have been born on or after 6 April 2025
- Your baby was admitted to neonatal care before reaching 28 days old
- Your baby’s neonatal care lasted at least 7 consecutive days
- You are the baby’s parent, intended parent (including surrogacy), adoptive parent, or partner of the birth parent
- You have caring responsibility for the baby
Neonatal Care Leave is a day-one right, meaning you can claim it regardless of how long you have worked for your employer. However, to claim Neonatal Care Pay, you must also:
- Have been continuously employed by the same employer for at least 26 weeks by the start of the relevant qualifying week
- Have average weekly earnings of at least £129 (from 6 April 2026) in the qualifying period
How Much Neonatal Care Leave Can You Take?
You are entitled to one week of Neonatal Care Leave for every complete week (7 consecutive days) your baby spends in neonatal care. The maximum entitlement is 12 weeks in total.
If you have twins or multiples in neonatal care at the same time, the 12-week maximum still applies across both. However, if your babies are in neonatal care at separate times, you may be able to claim for each period — up to 12 weeks combined in total. All leave must be taken within 68 weeks of your baby’s birth.
Tier 1 and Tier 2 Neonatal Care Leave
Neonatal Care Leave operates in two tiers, which affect when and how you take the leave:
Tier 1: This covers the period when your baby is still in neonatal care, plus the first week after they are discharged. You can take leave in separate blocks of at least one week at a time, they do not need to be consecutive.
Tier 2: This applies once more than one week has passed since your baby left neonatal care. Any remaining entitlement must be taken as a single continuous block of leave.
In both tiers, Neonatal Care Leave must be taken after any Statutory Maternity or Adoption Leave you are currently taking, it cannot overlap with it. This means your total time away from work could extend beyond your original 52-week maternity leave if your baby requires neonatal care.
Notice Requirements
Tier 1 (leave during or immediately after neonatal care): No written notice is required. You should inform your employer as soon as reasonably practicable.
Tier 2 (leave taken more than a week after discharge): Written notice is required — at least 15 days before the start of one week of leave, or at least 28 days before the start of two or more consecutive weeks of leave.
To claim Neonatal Care Pay (rather than just leave), you must provide written notice to your employer in both Tier 1 and Tier 2. Notice must confirm your eligibility, the date neonatal care began, whether care has ended, and the dates you want to take your pay.
FAQs: Maternity Pay Calculator
How do I calculate maternity pay in the UK?
To calculate your SMP, first work out your Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) over the 8 weeks before your Qualifying Week. For the first 6 weeks of SMP, you receive 90% of that figure. For the following 33 weeks, you receive either £194.32 per week (from 6 April 2026) or 90% of your AWE, whichever is lower. Your employer is responsible for performing this calculation, but you can check it using HMRC’s online SMP calculator on GOV.UK.
Do you get six months' full pay on maternity?
Statutory Maternity Pay does not give you six months of full pay. The SMP rate is 90% of your average earnings only for the first 6 weeks, after which it drops to £194.32 per week (or 90% of AWE if lower). Some employers do offer six months of full or enhanced pay through their own contractual schemes, but this is entirely at their discretion. Always check your contract or maternity policy to know what your specific employer offers.
How much is maternity pay per week in 2026?
From 6 April 2026, the flat rate for weeks 7 to 39 of SMP is £194.32 per week. For the first 6 weeks, you receive 90% of your average weekly earnings, which could be higher or lower than £194.32 depending on your salary. If your 90% figure is below £194.32 at any point in the 33-week period, you will receive your 90% figure rather than the flat rate.
What if my pay varies from week to week?
If your pay varies, for example because you work shifts, are on a zero-hours contract, or receive commission, your average weekly earnings are calculated by adding up all your gross pay over the 8-week window before your Qualifying Week and dividing by 8. To maximise your SMP, it can be worth accepting all available shifts and avoiding unpaid time off during this calculation period.
Does SMP continue if I return to work early?
No. If you return to work before your 39 weeks of SMP have ended, your SMP payments stop on the day you return. The exception is Keeping in Touch (KIT) days, where you can work up to 10 days for your existing employer during maternity leave without losing your SMP. Each KIT day is paid according to your contract, but if you work more than 10 KIT days, you lose the entire week’s SMP for any week in which the extra day falls.
Can I get SMP if I am made redundant while pregnant?
Yes, provided you were made redundant after the start of your Qualifying Week, you are still entitled to SMP. Your employer must continue to pay it or HMRC will pay it directly if the employer is insolvent. Being made redundant because you are pregnant is automatically unfair dismissal and unlawful pregnancy discrimination, if this has happened to you, seek advice urgently.
What is Maternity Allowance and who is it for?
Maternity Allowance is a government benefit for women who do not qualify for SMP, typically the self-employed, those who have recently changed jobs, or those who have not met the Lower Earnings Limit. From 6 April 2026, Maternity Allowance is paid at up to £194.32 per week for up to 39 weeks if you meet the work and earnings criteria. You claim it through Jobcentre Plus, not your employer.
Does maternity pay affect other benefits?
SMP is treated as earnings for tax and National Insurance purposes but it does not count as earnings for the purposes of tax credits or Universal Credit in the same way your salary does. However, SMP will be taken into account when calculating your Universal Credit award. If you receive Working Tax Credit, your payments may change when you go on maternity leave. It is worth contacting HMRC or using a benefits calculator to understand how your specific situation will be affected.
Can my employer refuse to pay SMP?
If you meet all four eligibility conditions, your employer must pay SMP by law. They cannot refuse. If they dispute your entitlement, they must write to you within 28 days of your maternity pay start date explaining why, using form SMP1. You can then contact HMRC’s Statutory Payment Disputes Team to challenge the decision. In the meantime, you can claim any outstanding SMP directly from HMRC.
Does my employer get the SMP money back from HMRC?
Yes. Most employers can reclaim 92% of the SMP they pay from HMRC through a reduction in National Insurance contributions. Small employers, those who paid £45,000 or less in Class 1 NICs in the previous tax year, can reclaim 103% of SMP paid, which includes a 3% top-up to cover administration costs. This means maternity pay costs most employers significantly less than the full amount in practice.
What happens to my pension contributions during maternity leave?
If you are enrolled in a workplace pension, your employer must continue to make their pension contributions at the same rate throughout your paid maternity leave, that is, for the full 39 weeks of SMP. These contributions are typically based on your usual full salary, not the reduced SMP amount you receive. Your own contributions, however, are only required on the pay you actually receive. During the final 13 unpaid weeks of maternity leave, pension contributions from both you and your employer may pause, depending on your scheme’s rules — check with your pension provider.
Can I take maternity leave more than once?
Yes. There is no limit on the number of times you can take maternity leave. Each pregnancy gives rise to a fresh entitlement, provided you meet the eligibility criteria each time. The 26-week continuous service requirement resets for each pregnancy, and it is possible to qualify even if you were recently on maternity leave for a previous pregnancy, as long as you returned to work and have been continuously employed for the required period.
What are Keeping in Touch (KIT) days?
Keeping in Touch days allow you to work for your employer for up to 10 days during your maternity leave without losing your SMP for that week. KIT days must be agreed mutually, your employer cannot compel you to do them, and you cannot demand them. They can be useful for attending important meetings, training, or keeping up with workplace developments. How much you are paid for a KIT day depends on your contract, but it must be at least the amount you would have received in SMP for that day. The two weeks immediately following the birth are a protected period during which KIT days cannot be used.
What if I am pregnant and on sick leave before my maternity leave?
If you go off work with a pregnancy-related illness in the four weeks before the week your baby is due, your maternity leave, and therefore your SMP will start automatically, even if you had planned to continue working. This is designed to protect your maternity entitlement. If the sick leave is unrelated to your pregnancy, standard sick pay rules apply, and your maternity leave can still begin on your chosen date.
Can I do self-employed work while receiving SMP?
Yes. Taking on self-employed work during your maternity leave does not affect your Statutory Maternity Pay. The rules are different from those that apply to employed KIT days. However, check your employment contract before you take on any self-employed work, some employers require you to get prior approval. If you receive contractual enhanced maternity pay on top of SMP, your employer’s policy may restrict outside work during this period.