NHS Maternity Pay Calculator
This NHS maternity pay calculator shows what each of your 52 weeks of leave pays, from 8 weeks of full pay to the 13 weeks that pay nothing. It follows Section 15 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, version 63.
The Maternity Pay Calculator works out Statutory Maternity Pay on its own. This maternity pay calculator for NHS staff adds the NHS scheme and shows what changes if you do not return.
Your NHS pay
Part-time staff enter actual pay, not the full-time equivalent.
Full pay is your average weekly earnings, so regular extras paid in the 8-week window count.
England follows Section 15 of the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, version 63.
Full pay used
£750.83 a week. In the NHS scheme full pay is your average weekly earnings, worked out with the SMP rules (15.23).
Your results
Total maternity pay
Over 52 weeks, before tax
Statutory Maternity Pay
Paid by your employer
NHS pay
More than SMP alone
Unpaid weeks
Of 52 weeks of leave
Your 52 weeks
| Weeks | Paid as | SMP | NHS pay | You receive | Band total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 6 | Full pay including SMP (15.21 i) | £675.74 | £75.09 | £750.83about £3,254 a month | £4,504.98 |
| 7 to 8 | Full pay including SMP (15.21 i) | £194.32 | £556.51 | £750.83about £3,254 a month | £1,501.66 |
| 9 to 26 | Half pay plus SMP, capped at full pay (15.21 ii) | £194.32 | £375.41 | £569.73about £2,469 a month | £10,255.14 |
| 27 to 39 | SMP only | £194.32 | £0.00 | £194.32about £842 a month | £2,526.16 |
| 40 to 52 | Unpaid | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| Total before tax | £10,467.00 | £8,320.94 | £18,787.94 | ||
Handbook 15.83: the whole of your maternity pay less any statutory pay. Your employer can waive it for undue hardship or distress.
Monthly figures are the weekly amount times 52, divided by 12. Each weekly amount is rounded to the nearest penny, so a payslip can differ by a penny or two.
What the NHS maternity pay calculator works out
The NHS maternity pay calculator turns your pay into the NHS week-by-week schedule, so you see what each of the 52 weeks pays before tax. It handles 6 parts of the NHS scheme that a statutory-only calculator leaves out.
Full pay on the NHS basis
Your average weekly earnings, including regular unsocial hours payments and high cost area supplement (HCAS).
SMP inside each week
Offset against full pay in weeks 1 to 8, added to half pay in weeks 9 to 26.
The full pay cap
Half pay plus SMP held to full pay in weeks 9 to 26.
The 12-month service test
Whether you qualify for the NHS scheme or for statutory pay only.
The return choice
Pay equal to SMP for anyone not planning to return to NHS work.
Your nation
England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, with the policy for that nation cited.
It does not work out leave dates, Income Tax, Maternity Allowance or a spread payment pattern.
NHS maternity pay: 8 weeks full pay, 18 weeks half pay plus SMP
NHS maternity pay is 8 weeks of full pay, then 18 weeks of half pay plus SMP (never more than full pay), then 13 weeks of SMP only, then 13 weeks unpaid.
The schedule covers Agenda for Change staff and doctors and dentists in training with 12 months of NHS service (Section 15, paragraph 15.21).
| Weeks of leave | What you are paid | Handbook paragraph |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 8 | Full pay, less any SMP or Maternity Allowance you receive | 15.21 (i) |
| 9 to 26 | Half of full pay, plus any SMP or Maternity Allowance, up to full pay | 15.21 (ii) |
| 27 to 39 | SMP or Maternity Allowance only | 15.21 (iii) |
| 40 to 52 | No pay | 15.21 (iv) |
SMP sits inside full pay in weeks 1 to 8, and the NHS pays the difference as NHS occupational maternity pay (OMP). SMP is added on top of half pay in weeks 9 to 26. SMP itself is 90% of your average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks, then £194.32 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, for the next 33 weeks.
A full-time Band 5 employee in England at the top pay point (£39,043) receives £18,787.94 over the 52 weeks before tax, £8,320.94 more than SMP alone. The calculator above puts all four bands into one 52-week schedule for your own pay.
How much is NHS maternity pay in 2026 to 2027?
NHS maternity pay is 8 weeks of full pay, 18 weeks of half pay plus SMP and 13 weeks of SMP only, for staff with 12 months' NHS service by the 11th week before the due week. SMP is £194.32 a week from 5 April 2026, or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that is lower.
Who qualifies for NHS maternity pay
NHS maternity pay needs 12 months' continuous service with one or more NHS employers at the beginning of the 11th week before your expected week of childbirth (15.15). The handbook adds 3 conditions:
- Written notice of your leave and its start date, before the end of the 15th week before your expected week of childbirth, or as soon as reasonably practicable after that.
- A MATB1 form given to your employer.
- A stated intention to return to the same or another NHS employer for at least 3 months after your leave ends.
Service with any NHS employer counts towards the 12 months, and a break of 3 months or less does not end your continuous service (15.107). Staff with less than 12 months of NHS service receive statutory pay only, whatever they plan after their leave (15.103).
What "full pay" means in the NHS scheme
Full pay in the NHS scheme is your average weekly earnings, worked out with the SMP rules, not your basic salary (15.23). Your employer averages the gross pay you were paid in the 8 weeks ending with your last normal payday on or before the Saturday of the qualifying week, the 15th week before your expected week of childbirth. Four rules change the figure:
- Regular extras count: unsocial hours payments and high cost area supplement paid in those 8 weeks are included (NHS Employers).
- A pay award before paid leave starts applies as if it had been in force through the whole SMP calculation period (15.23 i).
- A pay award during paid leave raises your maternity pay from the date of the award (15.23 ii).
- Sick leave at half pay or no pay inside the 8 weeks counts at notional full sick pay (15.23 iii).
Do NHS staff get 6 months' full pay on maternity leave?
No: the NHS pays 8 weeks of full pay, not 6 months. Weeks 9 to 26 reach full pay only when your full pay is at or below £388.64 a week, about £20,209 a year, because half pay plus SMP is capped at full pay (15.21 ii). The £388.64 is twice the £194.32 SMP rate.
An illustrative case: a half-time Band 5 employee on the top pay point earns £19,521.50 a year pro rata, a full pay of £375.41 a week. Half pay (£187.71) plus SMP (£194.32) comes to £382.03, so the cap holds weeks 9 to 26 at £375.41. All 26 weeks pay £375.41, and the 52-week total is £12,286.82 before tax.
Worked example: Band 5 at the top of the 2026 to 2027 England scale
A full-time Band 5 employee in England on £39,043 who returns to the NHS receives £18,787.94 before tax over 52 weeks of maternity leave.
The inputs
Band 5 top pay point, England
- Salary
- £39,043
- Full pay
- £750.83 a week
- SMP weeks 1 to 6
- £675.74
- SMP weeks 7 to 39
- £194.32
£39,043 is the Band 5 top pay point in England from 1 April 2026 (handbook Annex 2, Table 10). Full pay is £39,043 divided by 52, with no unsocial hours or HCAS.
The result
More than 12 months' service, returning
- SMP
- £10,467.00
- NHS pay (OMP)
- £8,320.94
- Total before tax
- £18,787.94
- Share of salary
- 48%
| Weeks | SMP a week | NHS pay a week | You receive a week | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 6 | £675.74 | £75.09 | £750.83 | £4,504.98 |
| 7 to 8 | £194.32 | £556.51 | £750.83 | £1,501.66 |
| 9 to 26 | £194.32 | £375.41 | £569.73 | £10,255.14 |
| 27 to 39 | £194.32 | £0.00 | £194.32 | £2,526.16 |
| 40 to 52 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
| Total | £10,467.00 | £8,320.94 | £18,787.94 |
Half pay (£375.41) plus SMP (£194.32) is £569.73 in weeks 9 to 26, below full pay, so the cap does not apply. Weekly amounts are rounded to the nearest penny, so a payslip can differ by a penny or two.
Why does NHS maternity pay drop so much after week 26?
NHS maternity pay drops after week 26 because weeks 27 to 39 pay SMP only and weeks 40 to 52 pay nothing. SMP from week 7 is £194.32 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower. Over 52 weeks the Band 5 example receives £18,787.94, about 48% of the £39,043 salary.
NHS maternity pay spread over 12 months or 9 months
NHS maternity pay can be paid in a different pattern by prior agreement with your employer (15.22).
The handbook names "a fixed amount spread equally over the maternity leave period" as one way to pay occupational maternity pay. Spreading changes when the money arrives, not how much the NHS pays in total, so the total in the calculator above is the figure to plan around.
The calculator shows the standard pattern only. Paragraph 15.22 gives examples, not a fixed list, so ask your payroll team which spread periods it offers, such as 9, 10 or 12 months, and how SMP is paid alongside, before your leave starts.
If you do not go back to the NHS after maternity leave
You receive pay equal to SMP only when you tell your employer at the start that you will not return to NHS work (15.100). You are liable to refund the NHS element when you say you will return and then do not within 15 months of your leave starting (15.83).
Telling your employer at the start that you will not return
The Band 5 example receives £10,467.00 with no plan to return, against £18,787.94 when returning: £8,320.94 less.
| Plan stated at the start of leave | Total over 52 weeks | NHS element | Repayable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return for at least 3 months | £18,787.94 | £8,320.94 | Only after a failure to return within 15 months |
| Do not return | £10,467.00 | £0.00 | Nothing |
The £10,467.00 is 6 weeks at £675.74 and 33 weeks at £194.32, the SMP structure the handbook applies (15.101). Your maternity leave still runs to 52 weeks (15.105).
Paying back NHS maternity pay if you do not return
You are liable to pay back the whole of your maternity pay less any SMP you received when you do not return to NHS work within 15 months of the start of your leave (15.83). For the Band 5 example the refund is £8,320.94. Your employer has discretion to waive the refund where enforcing it would cause undue hardship or distress. Other schemes' refund rules are compared in Do You Have to Pay Back Maternity Pay?.
A fixed-term or training contract that expires after the 11th week before your expected week of childbirth is extended to cover the 52 weeks of leave and pay (15.84). No refund applies where there was no right of return, because the contract would have ended anyway (15.86). NHSScotland's maternity policy states the same repayment rule and the same discretion to waive it.
NHS maternity pay by nation and staff group
Maternity pay in the NHS follows the same schedule in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The policy document, the pay scales and one Scottish rule differ.
| Nation | Where the rule is written | Weeks: full, half plus SMP, SMP only, unpaid | What differs |
|---|---|---|---|
| England | NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, Section 15 | 8, 18, 13, 13 | Pay scales in Annex 2 of the handbook |
| Wales | The same handbook, Section 15 | 8, 18, 13, 13 | Own 2026 pay circular, so pay scales differ |
| Scotland | NHSScotland Workforce Policies, Maternity Policy (version 1.3, November 2025) | 8, 18, 13, 13 | Pregnancy-related illness rule; bank staff have no NHS maternity pay; own pay scales |
| Northern Ireland | The handbook, applied by Health and Social Care (HSC) trusts | 8, 18, 13, 13 | Northern Trust also asks for 26 weeks with the Trust; own pay circular |
NHS Scotland maternity pay follows the same schedule, but the start of leave differs for pregnancy-related illness. In Scotland, absence because of pregnancy in the last 4 weeks before the expected week of childbirth starts maternity leave from the second day of continuous absence. The handbook used elsewhere starts it at the beginning of the 4th week before the expected week of childbirth, or the week after you last worked, whichever is later (15.26).
The Northern Health and Social Care Trust asks for 26 weeks' continuous service with the Trust at the beginning of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth, alongside the 12 months.
Other public sector schemes pay for different numbers of weeks: the Teacher Maternity Pay Calculator covers teachers and the Civil Service Maternity Pay Calculator covers civil servants. Compare every scheme in maternity pay by employer scheme.
Nurses, midwives and other Agenda for Change staff
NHS nurse and midwife maternity pay follows the same Section 15 schedule as every other Agenda for Change role; only the full pay figure changes with your band and pay point. In England from 1 April 2026, Band 2 pays £25,272 and Band 5 pays £32,073 to £39,043 (handbook Annex 2, Table 10). Returning full-time staff receive £14,285.92 on Band 2 and £16,509.26 at the Band 5 entry point over 52 weeks, before tax.
Doctors and dentists in training
NHS maternity pay for doctors and dentists in training is the same 8 weeks of full pay and 18 weeks of half pay (NHS Employers guidance for rotational trainees). The 12 months' continuous service can be with one or more NHS employers by the start of the 11th week before the expected week of childbirth, and GP practices count for GP trainees. Average weekly earnings come from at least 8 weeks up to and including the last payday before the end of the qualifying week.
A doctor in training who loses SMP continuity on rotation still receives the SMP value from the current employer (15.89).
Consultants and SAS doctors
Section 15 covers staff on medical or dental contracts "covered by this section", with no detriment to pay progression or annual leave accrual (15.93). Check with your medical staffing team that your contract applies Section 15. The calculator uses the Section 15 schedule.
Questions NHS staff ask about maternity pay
Six questions follow once the NHS schedule is clear: moving trust, a second baby, a pay award, keeping in touch days, your pension and tax.
Does my NHS service count if I move to another trust?
Yes: the 12 months can be with one or more NHS employers, so service at your old trust counts (15.15). Annex 1 of the handbook lists the employers that count, from NHS trusts and foundation trusts in England to health boards in Scotland, local health boards in Wales and HSC trusts in Northern Ireland. A break of 3 months or less between posts does not end continuous service, though the break itself does not count towards the 12 months (15.107). SMP has its own test of 26 weeks with your current employer.
How is maternity pay worked out for a second baby during maternity leave?
Average weekly earnings for the second period of maternity leave are calculated on notional full pay, not on the reduced maternity pay in the 8-week window (15.23 iv). NHS Employers sets this out in its guidance on concurrent periods of maternity leave.
What happens to NHS maternity pay after a pay award?
A pay award raises your maternity pay under Section 15. An award or a move to a higher pay point before your paid leave starts is treated as in force through the whole SMP calculation period (15.23 i). An award during paid leave increases your maternity pay from the date of the award (15.23 ii). Statutory Maternity Pay follows its own rule: a rise that takes effect between the start of the relevant period and the end of your leave means your employer recalculates SMP as if the rise had applied for all 8 weeks (HMRC). The calculator does not model awards during leave.
Are keeping in touch days paid on NHS maternity leave?
Yes: up to 10 keeping in touch (KIT) days are paid at your basic daily rate for the hours worked, less your maternity pay for that time (15.70, 15.75). Leave in lieu, the compulsory-leave bar and the statutory rules are in Keeping in Touch Days Pay.
What happens to my NHS pension on maternity leave?
NHS Pension Scheme contributions during paid leave in England and Wales are based on the pay you receive: full pay, half pay or SMP (NHS Business Services Authority). Employer contributions are paid on your full rate of pay while you keep contributing. During unpaid leave, contributions continue at the rate that applied just before the unpaid leave started. Stopping contributions treats you as having left NHS employment on the date they stopped. In Scotland, contributions during unpaid leave are not compulsory, and you can arrange before that leave to pay the arrears on your return (Scottish Public Pensions Agency).
Is NHS maternity pay taxed?
Yes: SMP is taxable, and occupational maternity pay is paid through your employer's payroll alongside it, so Income Tax and National Insurance come off both. NHS Pension Scheme contributions also come off the pay you receive in each week. Every figure on this page is gross, before all three deductions.
What the calculator does not do
- Dates: it does not work out your qualifying week or leave dates. The Maternity Pay Qualifying Week Calculator does.
- Deductions: figures are before Income Tax, National Insurance and pension. The Maternity Pay After Tax Calculator works out take-home pay.
- Maternity Allowance: not calculated, though the NHS scheme offsets it when SMP is not payable. SMP needs average weekly earnings of at least £129.
- Spreading: the calculator shows the standard pattern, not a spread agreed under 15.22.
- Changes during leave: KIT days, pay awards and new hours are not modelled.
This is an estimate, not financial or employment advice; your payroll team confirms the final figures.
How this NHS maternity pay calculator was checked
Every NHS rule on this page comes from the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, version 63, published 1 October 2026, and every SMP figure from HMRC's rates and thresholds for 2026 to 2027. The SMP rate of £194.32 applies from 5 April 2026, one day before the other statutory rates. Checked 8 October 2026.
- NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook, version 63, Section 15 and Annexes 1 and 2 (NHS Employers)
- Calculating maternity pay for concurrent periods of maternity leave (NHS Employers)
- General maternity guidance for rotational doctors and dentists in training (NHS Employers)
- Maternity Policy (NHSScotland Workforce Policies)
- Family friendly support (Northern Health and Social Care Trust)
- Pension contributions on parental leave (NHS Business Services Authority)
- Becoming a parent and your NHS pension (Scottish Public Pensions Agency)
- Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 (HMRC)
- Statutory Maternity Pay: employee circumstances that affect payment (HMRC)
Weekly amounts are rounded to the nearest penny, so a payslip can differ by a penny or two. The Methodology and sources page lists every rate the site uses.