Maternity Pay Calculator
Free, instant estimate — no sign-up. Enter the details below to see the calculation and the result.
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Informational estimate only, based on official GOV.UK guidance and assumes the person is eligible — see the eligibility notes below. Not legal or payroll advice.
Quick answer: Statutory Maternity Pay is 90% of average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks, then the lower of £194.32/week or 90% of earnings for the remaining 33 weeks.
Written by Ruby Miller · HR & Employment Law Content Lead
How this is calculated
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is paid for up to 39 weeks, under the Statutory Maternity Pay (General) Regulations 1986 (as amended). The first 6 weeks are paid at 90% of average weekly earnings (AWE), with no cap. The remaining 33 weeks are paid at whichever is lower: the statutory flat rate (£194.32/week for 2026/27) or 90% of AWE.
This calculator shows the nominal 39-week total; actual payment depends on continuing eligibility and correctly calculating average earnings over the relevant 8-week reference period ending with the qualifying week — the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth.
Holiday continues to accrue at the normal rate throughout maternity leave, including any unpaid additional maternity leave. Use the Holiday Entitlement Calculator to check how much leave will have built up by the planned return-to-work date.
SMP at different earnings levels
Because the flat rate acts as a ceiling for the last 33 weeks, higher earners plateau while lower earners are paid 90% of earnings throughout. Here’s how the 39-week nominal total changes with average weekly earnings:
| Average weekly earnings | First 6 weeks (90%) | Remaining 33 weeks | 39-week total |
|---|---|---|---|
| £180 | £162.00/wk | £162.00/wk (90%, below flat rate) | £6,318.00 |
| £216 (= flat rate ÷ 0.9) | £194.40/wk | £194.32/wk (flat rate) | £7,578.96 |
| £450 | £405.00/wk | £194.32/wk (flat rate) | £8,842.56 |
| £900 | £810.00/wk | £194.32/wk (flat rate) | £11,272.56 |
The crossover point is earnings of roughly £216 a week — below that, 90% of earnings stays below the flat rate for the whole 39 weeks; above it, the flat rate caps the last 33 weeks regardless of how much higher actual earnings are.
Who this applies to
The calculator skips the eligibility check and jumps straight to the maths. Before you trust the number, make sure you actually tick these boxes:
- At least 26 weeks’ continuous service with the employer by the “qualifying week” (the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth).
- Average weekly earnings at or above the National Insurance Lower Earnings Limit.
- Still employed (or having worked up to) the qualifying week, and correct notice given to the employer.
Special cases
Premature birth
If a baby is born before the expected due date, statutory maternity leave and pay start from the day after the birth (or earlier if the mother is already off sick with a pregnancy-related illness in the 4 weeks before the expected week of childbirth).
Returning to work early
SMP can continue to be paid even if you return to work before the 39 weeks are up, under Keeping in Touch (KIT) days rules — a limited number of days can be worked without losing that week’s SMP entirely.
Shared Parental Leave
Eligible parents can choose to end maternity leave and pay early and switch some of the remaining leave and pay to Shared Parental Leave, splitting time off between both parents. This calculator only estimates the standalone SMP figure.
Multiple births
SMP itself doesn’t pay extra for twins or higher-order multiple births — the payment structure is the same 39 weeks regardless of how many babies are born in one pregnancy. Additional support may be available through other channels, but not through SMP directly.
Worked examples
What this calculator doesn’t cover
- Does not check the 26-week qualifying service rule or the Lower Earnings Limit test — it assumes eligibility.
- Does not cover Maternity Allowance, the alternative payment for those who don’t qualify for SMP through an employer.
- Assumes the full 39 weeks are taken and paid without an early return to work partway through.
- Average weekly earnings must be entered manually rather than calculated from payslips or PAYE records.
- Does not account for any enhanced, employer-funded maternity pay scheme on top of the statutory minimum.
The bit that catches people out
Expecting parents doing their own back-of-envelope maths tend to hit the same wall, and it’s rarely the arithmetic itself — it’s one of these three assumptions.
- ✕Assuming 90% applies for the full 39 weeks. Understandably, since the first payslip makes it look that way. The 90% rate is only guaranteed for the first 6 weeks — after that, the flat rate usually takes over for anyone earning more than around £216 a week.
- ✕Using current earnings instead of the 8-week reference period. AWE is fixed by looking at the relevant 8-week window ending with the qualifying week, not by whatever someone happens to be earning when the baby arrives.
- ✕Confusing SMP with Maternity Allowance. These are two separate schemes with different eligibility tests and payers — SMP comes from an employer, Maternity Allowance from the government for those who don’t qualify for SMP.
FAQs
What if I don’t qualify for SMP?
You may be able to claim Maternity Allowance instead, which has its own separate qualifying rules based on employment and earnings history.
Does this calculator cover Maternity Allowance?
No. This tool only estimates Statutory Maternity Pay paid by an employer, not Maternity Allowance paid by the government.
How exactly is the 8-week reference period chosen?
It ends with the last payday on or before the end of the “qualifying week” — the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth — and runs back 8 weeks (or the relevant pay reference periods) from there, not from the maternity leave start date itself.
Does SMP count as taxable income?
Yes. SMP is treated like normal pay for tax and National Insurance purposes and appears on payslips in the usual way, deducted at source by the employer.
Can my employer refuse to pay SMP if I’ve already resigned?
Generally no — if you meet the qualifying conditions by the qualifying week, SMP is still payable even if your employment later ends, as long as you were employed up to the qualifying week itself.
Does my employer get any of the SMP cost back from the government?
Most employers can reclaim a significant portion of SMP paid through HMRC’s Statutory Payments recovery scheme — small employers can typically reclaim more than larger ones. This doesn’t change what you’re paid; it only affects the employer’s own costs.
What happens to SMP if I decide not to return to work afterwards?
SMP already paid does not normally need to be repaid just because you choose not to return — though check your contract for any separate, employer-specific enhanced maternity pay clawback clause, which is a different (and less common) arrangement.