Maternity pay calculator
What Statutory Maternity Pay comes to at your earnings, week by week across the full 52 weeks of leave. Shows both drops: the one at week 7 and the one at week 40.
Maternity pay has two cliffs
Statutory Maternity Pay changes shape twice, and both drops are steep enough to matter when you are planning around them.
- Weeks 1 to 6. 90% of your average weekly earnings, with no cap.
- Weeks 7 to 39. The lower of £194.32 a week or 90% of your earnings.
- Weeks 40 to 52. Nothing.
What that looks like on £600 a week. The first six weeks pay £540. Week seven pays £194.32, a fall of £345.68 a week, because 90% of your earnings is far above the cap. Week 40 pays nothing at all, though you can still be on leave until week 52. Across the 39 paid weeks it comes to roughly £9,653.
The chart above draws all 52 weeks at your own earnings, because the shape of it is the part that catches people out.
39 weeks of pay, 52 weeks of leave
Statutory Maternity Leave is 52 weeks: 26 weeks Ordinary Maternity Leave, then 26 weeks Additional. SMP runs for 39 of them. The final 13 weeks are leave you are entitled to take and are simply unpaid.
Leave can start 11 weeks before the week the baby is due. It starts automatically if the baby arrives early, or if you are off with a pregnancy-related illness in the four weeks before the due week. You have to take at least two weeks after the birth, or four if you work in a factory.
How average weekly earnings are worked out
Average weekly earnings are measured over an 8-week relevant period ending with the qualifying week, which is the 15th week before the week the baby is due. It counts the gross pay actually paid in that window, so overtime, commission or a bonus landing in those eight weeks all lift it.
Dividing an annual salary by 52 gets close, and the annual option above does exactly that. If your pay varies, or a bonus falls inside the reference period, the real figure will differ from the estimate.
Earning under £129 a week
SMP needs average weekly earnings of at least £129, which is the lower earnings limit for 2026/27. Below that, Maternity Allowance may be payable instead. It is claimed through Jobcentre Plus rather than paid by an employer, it has its own qualifying rules, and it can cover people SMP does not reach, including the self-employed.
Who qualifies, and what comes off it
You need 26 weeks of continuous employment with the same employer, running up to any day in the qualifying week, along with average weekly earnings of at least £129. You also have to give proper notice and hand over a MATB1 certificate or a doctor's letter.
SMP is taxable. Income tax and National Insurance come off it the same way they come off wages, so every figure here is gross. What lands in your account will be lower.
Common questions
How much is maternity pay?
90% of your average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks with no cap, then the lower of £194.32 a week or 90% of your earnings for the next 33 weeks. After week 39 it stops. Put your earnings in above to see your own figures week by week.
How long is maternity pay paid for?
39 weeks. Maternity leave runs for 52 weeks, so the last 13 weeks of leave are unpaid. The two are often confused, which is why the chart above draws the full 52.
Do I get paid for all 52 weeks of maternity leave?
No. SMP covers 39 weeks. Weeks 40 to 52 are leave you are entitled to take without pay, unless your employer runs its own maternity scheme that pays more than the statutory minimum. Plenty do, so it is worth checking your contract before planning around these figures.
What is the maternity pay rate for 2026/27?
£194.32 a week for weeks 7 to 39, or 90% of your average weekly earnings if that is lower. The first 6 weeks are always 90% of earnings with no cap. The rate changes each April.
What are average weekly earnings?
Your gross pay over an 8-week relevant period ending with the qualifying week, which is the 15th week before the baby is due. Overtime and bonuses paid in that window count, so it is not always the same as your salary divided by 52.
Am I eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay?
You need 26 weeks of continuous employment with the same employer up to any day in the qualifying week, and average weekly earnings of at least £129. You also have to give notice and provide a MATB1 certificate.
What if I earn less than £129 a week?
You will not qualify for SMP, but Maternity Allowance may be payable instead. It is claimed from Jobcentre Plus rather than your employer, and it reaches some people SMP does not, including the self-employed.
Is maternity pay taxed?
Yes. Income tax and National Insurance come off SMP exactly as they do off wages. The figures here are gross, so your take-home will be lower.