Maternity Pay Calculator UK 2026-27
Plan the year around the week-7 step-down — before it surprises you.
Work out your statutory maternity pay week by week: six weeks at 90% of your earnings, then 33 weeks at £194.32 (the April 2026 rate), and the unpaid final quarter — with employer top-ups, eligibility and Maternity Allowance covered.
April 2026 rates. SMP is taxed through payroll like normal pay.
Three phases of pay across 52 weeks of leave
90%, then the flat rate, then nothing
Weeks 1–6: 90% of your average weekly earnings, uncapped — £519 a week on a £30,000 salary. Weeks 7–39: the lower of £194.32 or that same 90% — the step-down that catches most families out (£842 a month). Weeks 40–52: unpaid, unless your employer's scheme continues.
On £30,000, the full 39 paid weeks deliver £9,528 — against £22,500 of normal pay for the same period. That gap is the number to plan around.
The two tests — and the day-one right
SMP requires 26 weeks' continuous service with the same employer by the qualifying week (the 15th week before your due date — broadly, employed there since before conception) and average weekly earnings of £129+ in the 8-week test period. Tell your employer by the 25th week with a MATB1 certificate.
Separate from pay: maternity leave — the full 52 weeks, with your job protected — is a day-one right for every employee regardless of service or earnings.
For the self-employed and recent job-changers
Miss SMP eligibility and Maternity Allowance from the DWP steps in: up to £194.32 a week for 39 weeks (or 90% of earnings if lower). The test is generous — employed or self-employed for 26 of the previous 66 weeks, earning at least £30 a week in any 13 of them.
Self-employed women should check their Class 2 NI record: gaps can cut the rate to £27 a week, and topping up voluntarily before claiming restores the full amount. Claim from the 26th week of pregnancy.
Making the step-down survivable
Front-load savings for weeks 7–39: the drop from 90% pay to £842 a month is the crunch — a buffer built during pregnancy covers the difference. Check the occupational scheme: many employers pay 100% for 13–26 weeks (sometimes with a repayment clause if you don't return — read it). Use KIT days deliberately — up to 10 paid days without losing SMP. Split the leave: Shared Parental Leave lets partners take up to 50 of the weeks at the same flat rate, useful when one income is much higher.
Don't forget Child Benefit from birth (and the HICBC taper if either parent earns £60,000+) — and childcare support from age 9 months for the return to work.
❓ Frequently asked Frequently asked questions
How much is statutory maternity pay in 2026-27?
Six weeks at 90% of earnings (uncapped), then 33 weeks at the lower of £194.32 or 90%. On £30,000 that's £9,528 over the 39 paid weeks.
Who qualifies for SMP?
26 weeks' service by the qualifying week plus £129+ average weekly earnings. Leave itself (52 weeks) is a day-one right.
What if I don't qualify?
Maternity Allowance pays up to £194.32 for 39 weeks — covering the self-employed and recent job-changers (26 of the last 66 weeks worked).
Are weeks 40–52 paid?
No — statutory pay stops at 39 weeks. The final 13 weeks are unpaid unless your employer's scheme continues.
Is SMP taxed?
Yes, through payroll like normal pay — though at £194.32 a week, most of it sits within the personal allowance.
Can I work during leave?
Up to 10 keeping-in-touch days without affecting SMP. Shared Parental Leave adds 20 more (SPLIT days).
Where these figures come from
Rates and rules come from GOV.UK — the source of record for statutory parental pay.
- Maternity pay and leave — GOV.UK — Maternity pay and leave.
- 2026-27 statutory rates — GOV.UK — Rates and thresholds for employers.
- Maternity Allowance — GOV.UK — Maternity Allowance.
- Shared Parental Leave — GOV.UK — Shared Parental Leave and Pay.
Last checked: July 2026. The £194.32 rate applies from 6 April 2026 and reindexes each April.
Select the question that matches where you are right now.
Your result maps income across the whole leave — the generous six weeks, the long flat-rate stretch, and any unpaid tail — so the household budget can be planned before week one.
Take the weeks-7-39 monthly figure and run the household budget on it — the gap to normal pay is your savings target during pregnancy.
Not your employer's occupational scheme — many pay more, some with clawbacks. The HR policy document is the other half of the picture.
April 2026 statutory rates; SMP is taxed via payroll. All calculations run in your browser.
Three things shape the total: your earnings, the leave length, and the employer scheme.
The 90% phase is uncapped — the only part of SMP that scales with salary.
33 of the 39 paid weeks pay £194.32 regardless of salary — the same for a £25k and a £90k earner.
AWE is measured over roughly weeks 18–26 of pregnancy — a pay rise or bonus landing in that window raises the 90% phase permanently.
The statutory rates are fixed, but the package around them isn't.
Enhanced schemes (e.g. 26 weeks full pay) transform the year — but check return-to-work clawback clauses before relying on them.
Ten full-pay days during leave is real money at the flat-rate stage — schedule them deliberately.
If your partner earns less, Shared Parental Leave can keep the higher earner working during the flat-rate months.
The maternity year connects to the family budget on every side.