Maternity Pay Calculator
This maternity pay calculator works out your Statutory Maternity Pay week by week on the 2026 to 2027 rates, including the 13 weeks of leave that pay nothing at all.
Your earnings
Gross pay averaged over the eight weeks up to the qualifying week, which is the 15th week before the week your baby is due. Must be at least £129 for SMP to be payable.
Employers reclaim 92% of SMP, or 109% if this is £45,000 or lower.
The unpaid tail
Statutory maternity leave runs 52 weeks but only 39 are paid. The last 13 weeks carry no statutory pay at all unless your employer tops them up.
Budget against £175.24 a week across the whole 52 weeks, not the paid average.
Your results
Total maternity pay
Over 39 paid weeks, gross
First 6 weeks
90% of earnings, no cap
Next 33 weeks
Capped at £194.32
Unpaid weeks
Weeks 40 to 52 of leave
You receive £450.00 a week for the first 6 weeks, then £194.32 for 33 weeks. Across the full 52 weeks of leave that averages £175.24 a week, because the last 13 weeks pay nothing.
How the paid weeks split
Paid against unpaid leave
Breakdown
| First 6 weeks at 90% | £2,700 |
| Next 33 weeks | £6,413 |
| Weeks 40 to 52 | Unpaid |
| You receive | £9,112.56 |
- Free calculator
- No registration
- 2026 to 2027 rates
- 39 paid weeks shown
Statutory Maternity Pay is paid by your employer for 39 weeks of your 52 weeks of maternity leave. The first 6 weeks pay 90% of your average weekly earnings with no cap. The next 33 weeks pay £194.32 a week or 90% of your earnings, whichever is lower. The final 13 weeks of leave are unpaid unless your employer has its own scheme, which you can compare in maternity pay by employer scheme.
You qualify when you have worked for the same employer for at least 26 weeks, continuing into the qualifying week (the 15th week before your expected week of childbirth). Your average weekly earnings must also be at least £129 a week. The calculator above assumes you meet the 26-week test and shows the full schedule, including the weeks that pay nothing.
What our Maternity Pay Calculator handles
The 2026 to 2027 SMP rates and the £129 earnings test are built into the calculator above.
The 90% weeks, uncapped
The first 6 weeks pay 90% of your average weekly earnings with no upper limit.
The 33 capped weeks
Then £194.32 a week or 90% of your earnings, whichever is lower.
All 52 weeks of leave
Leave runs 52 weeks but only 39 are paid. The unpaid tail is shown.
The lower-earner crossover
Below £215.91 a week, 90% of your earnings is the rate you get.
Employer reclaim
92% back from HMRC, or 109% for a small employer in 2026 to 2027.
Occupational top-ups
One employer scheme rate, inclusive of SMP or paid on top.
Maternity pay rates 2026 to 2027
The standard rate of Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) for 2026 to 2027 is £194.32 a week, up from £187.18. You get it only for weeks 7 to 39, and only when it is lower than 90% of your average weekly earnings.
First 6 weeks
The 90% period
- Rate
- 90% of average weekly earnings
- Cap
- None
- Weeks
- 6
No upper limit applies. On high earnings this is where most of the money is.
Weeks 7 to 39
The standard-rate period
- Rate
- £194.32 or 90%
- Which applies
- The lower
- Weeks
- 33
A ceiling, not a floor. Lower earners receive 90% of their own pay instead.
Weeks 40 to 52
The unpaid tail
- SMP
- None
- Weeks
- 13
Leave continues, but statutory pay has stopped unless your employer tops it up.
The date the SMP rate changed. HMRC applies the 2026 to 2027 SMP rate from 5 April 2026, one day before the Statutory Paternity, Adoption, Shared Parental and Sick Pay rates change on 6 April 2026.
How your maternity pay is calculated
Your employer calculates your maternity pay from your average weekly earnings: the weekly average of your gross pay in an 8-week period that ends by the last day of your qualifying week. It takes 5 steps.
Find your qualifying week
The 15th week (Sunday to Saturday) before the week your baby is due.Identify the relevant period
The 8 weeks ending with your last normal payday on or before the Saturday of your qualifying week.Work out your average weekly earnings
From the gross pay paid in that period. Weekly pay: add it up and divide by 8. Monthly pay: divide it by the number of months (normally 2), multiply by 12, then divide by 52.Check the earnings test
No SMP is paid when your average weekly earnings are below £129 (2026 to 2027).Apply the rates
Weeks 1 to 6 pay 90% of your average weekly earnings with no cap, and weeks 7 to 39 pay £194.32 or 90%, whichever is lower. Weeks 40 to 52 of your leave are unpaid.
A monthly salary of £2,600 gives average weekly earnings of £5,200 ÷ 2 × 12 ÷ 52 = £600.00. Weeks 1 to 6 then pay £540.00 a week (£3,240.00), weeks 7 to 39 pay £194.32 a week (£6,412.56), and the 39-week total is £9,652.56 before tax. Steps 1 and 2 need your dates, which the Maternity Pay Qualifying Week Calculator works out.
How average weekly earnings are worked out
Your average weekly earnings are the gross pay you were paid in the relevant period. It is the pay actually paid in that window, not your contractual salary, so overtime, bonuses and commission paid in it all count. The qualifying week guide explains the window in detail.
A pay rise also counts when it takes effect at any time from the start of the relevant period to the end of your maternity leave. Your employer must recalculate your SMP as if the rise had applied for the whole 8 weeks, then pay you the difference. The calculator does not do this for you: enter your average weekly earnings at the new rate of pay to see the recalculated figures.
Worked examples at three earnings levels
Three earnings levels, the same rules: £180 a week sits below the £215.91 crossover, while £500 and £1,200 a week sit above it.
£180 a week
Below the crossover
| Weeks | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| First 6 weeks | 90% of £180 = £162.00 | £972.00 |
| Next 33 weeks | 90% of £180 = £162.00 | £5,346.00 |
| 39-week total | £6,318.00 | |
90% of £180 is £162.00, below the £194.32 standard rate, so it is the rate actually paid. The headline figure is never reached.
£500 a week
Above the crossover
| Weeks | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| First 6 weeks | 90% of £500 = £450.00 | £2,700.00 |
| Next 33 weeks | capped at £194.32 | £6,412.56 |
| 39-week total | £9,112.56 | |
The £194.32 standard rate applies for the whole 33 weeks, so pay is capped rather than following earnings.
£1200 a week
Above the crossover
| Weeks | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| First 6 weeks | 90% of £1200 = £1,080.00 | £6,480.00 |
| Next 33 weeks | capped at £194.32 | £6,412.56 |
| 39-week total | £12,892.56 | |
The £194.32 standard rate applies for the whole 33 weeks, so pay is capped rather than following earnings.
The 90% trap for lower earners
The standard rate is a ceiling, not a floor. For the 33 standard weeks you receive £194.32 or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. The crossover sits at £215.91 a week (about £216): below that, 90% of your earnings is less than £194.32 and you are paid the lower figure for the whole 39 weeks. Someone earning £200 a week receives £180 a week throughout, never £194.32.
Do you qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay?
You qualify when you meet all 3 of these conditions. The first 2 are tested in your qualifying week, the 15th week before your expected week of childbirth.
26 weeks with your employer
Worked for the same employer without a break for at least 26 weeks, continuing into the qualifying week.
Earnings of £129 a week
Average weekly earnings of at least £129, the lower earnings limit for 2026 to 2027.
Notice and proof
28 days' notice to your employer and proof that you are pregnant.
Maternity Allowance is the payment to check when you do not pass the employment and earnings tests. SMP comes only from an employer, so Maternity Allowance is also the one to check when you are self-employed.
How to claim SMP from your employer
Tell your employer
At least 28 days before the date you want your SMP to start, in writing if they ask for it.Give your employer proof of pregnancy
Within 21 days of that start date (or as soon as possible when your baby is born early): your MATB1 certificate or a letter from your doctor or midwife.Check the amount
Compare what your employer pays against the schedule in the calculator above, using your own average weekly earnings.
The full process, including what happens if your employer says you do not qualify, is in How to Apply for Statutory Maternity Pay.
Is maternity pay taxed?
Yes, SMP is taxable: Income Tax and National Insurance come off through PAYE in the same way as on your wages. The figures on this page are before tax. PAYE on a cumulative tax code refunds tax taken earlier in the tax year once your pay drops on leave, while a week 1 or month 1 tax code gives no refund through payroll. The Maternity Pay After Tax Calculator works out your take-home pay.
Calculators for your situation
Take-home pay, your dates, Maternity Allowance, your partner's pay and the employer's reclaim, each worked out on the current rates.
- Maternity Pay After Tax CalculatorTake-home pay during leave after Income Tax, National Insurance and student loan, month by month.
- Maternity Pay Qualifying Week CalculatorYour qualifying week, earliest start date, notice deadline and the week your SMP ends, from your due date.
- Maternity Allowance Test Period CalculatorThe 66-week test period and the weeks of work you need if you cannot get SMP.
- Paternity Pay CalculatorStatutory Paternity Pay for your partner: £194.32 or 90% of earnings for up to 2 weeks.
- Shared Parental Pay CalculatorSplit the weeks of pay you have not used between you and your partner.
- SMP Recovery CalculatorFor employers: what you reclaim from HMRC at 92% or 109%, and your net cost.
Every tool, grouped and explained, is on maternity pay calculators by situation.
Maternity pay by employer scheme
Enhanced maternity pay is any pay from your employer's own scheme above SMP. It is paid either inclusive of SMP, where your employer tops SMP up, or on top of SMP. These calculators lay out the main public sector schemes week by week.
- NHS Maternity Pay Calculator8 weeks of full pay, then 18 weeks of half pay plus SMP, under Agenda for Change Section 15.
- Teacher Maternity Pay CalculatorThe Burgundy Book in England and Wales, the SNCT scheme in Scotland and the Northern Ireland scheme.
- Civil Service Maternity Pay CalculatorDepartment presets from published terms: 26 weeks of full pay in most departments.
- Police Maternity Pay CalculatorOfficers in England and Wales, Police Scotland officers and police staff.
- Council Maternity Pay CalculatorThe NJC Green Book scheme for council staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
- Enhanced Maternity Pay CalculatorAny other employer's scheme: copy its blocks of weeks from your policy.
Compare every scheme side by side in maternity pay by employer scheme. Some schemes make you repay part of the scheme pay if you do not go back to work for a set time; SMP itself never has to be paid back.
What maternity pay costs an employer
An employer gets back 92% of the SMP it pays from HMRC, or 109% in 2026 to 2027 as a small employer.
A small employer is one whose Class 1 National Insurance in the last complete tax year before the employee's qualifying week was £45,000 or less, ignoring reductions such as Employment Allowance. Enter your employee's average weekly earnings and that National Insurance figure in the calculator above to see their SMP week by week and the amount you recover.
- SMP Recovery CalculatorThe reclaim and your net cost on a whole SMP bill.
- Maternity pay for employersWhen you must pay SMP and how the reclaim works.
Learn how maternity pay works
Plain guides to the rules behind the numbers, each checked against GOV.UK and the scheme documents.
- Statutory Maternity PayHow much you get, for how long, who pays it and how it is taxed.
- The qualifying weekThe test that decides whether you get SMP, and the 8 weeks your pay is measured over.
- How to apply for SMPThe notice you give, the MATB1 proof and what happens if your employer says no.
- Maternity AllowanceWhat you can claim from the government when you do not qualify for SMP.
- Enhanced maternity payHow employer schemes work with SMP: included in it or paid on top.
- Paying back maternity paySMP is never repayable. Which scheme pay is, and when.
Reading finishes where calculation starts. The maternity pay guides index collects every guide in one place, from Statutory Maternity Pay to paying it back.
More guides
Your partner
About the figures
Maternity pay questions
Who pays, pay rises, start dates, keeping in touch days and repayment.
How much is maternity pay in 2026 to 2027?
How long is maternity pay paid for?
Do you get 6 months' full pay on maternity leave?
Will maternity pay go up in April 2027?
Who pays maternity pay?
How much do you have to earn to qualify for maternity pay?
What are average weekly earnings for maternity pay?
Does a pay rise during maternity leave increase my SMP?
Is maternity pay the same in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
When does maternity pay start?
Can I work during maternity leave without losing SMP?
Do I have to pay maternity pay back if I do not go back to work?
Sources
Every rate and rule on this page comes from these primary sources. Rates last verified on 14 August 2026.
- Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 (HMRC): the £194.32 weekly rate, the £129 lower earnings limit, the 92% and 109% reclaim rates and the 5 April 2026 SMP date.
- Get financial help with statutory pay (GOV.UK): the 92% and 109% reclaim and the £45,000 small employer test.
- Statutory Maternity Pay and Leave: employer guide (GOV.UK): 39 paid weeks, made up of 6 weeks and 33 weeks.
- Maternity pay and leave: Pay (GOV.UK): tax and National Insurance on SMP, and the automatic start in the 4 weeks before the due week.
- Maternity pay and leave: Eligibility (GOV.UK): 26 weeks of employment continuing into the qualifying week.
- Maternity pay and leave: How to claim (GOV.UK): 28 days' notice and the MATB1 within 21 days.
- Maternity pay and leave: Leave (GOV.UK): 52 weeks of leave, the earliest start and early births.
- Work out your employee's payments for Statutory Maternity Pay (HMRC): the qualifying week, the relevant period and average weekly earnings.
- Statutory Maternity Pay: employee circumstances that affect payment (HMRC): pay rises, keeping in touch days and leaving the job.
- SMP: an introduction (nidirect): the same 2026 to 2027 SMP rates and earnings test in Northern Ireland.
- Income Tax in Scotland (GOV.UK): Scotland's own tax bands.
- Maternity Allowance (GOV.UK): the payment to check if you do not qualify for SMP.
The calculator does not check your 26 weeks of employment, deduct tax, recalculate SMP for a pay rise, or calculate Statutory Adoption Pay. Each rate is listed with its source on the methodology page. This is an estimate, not financial or employment advice.