Statutory maternity pay runs for 39 weeks. The first six are paid at 90% of your average weekly earnings with no cap at all, and the remaining 33 at whichever is lower — the standard weekly rate or 90% of your earnings.
The uncapped first six weeks are the part most calculators get wrong, and they are worth the most to anyone earning above the standard rate. Maternity leave itself can run to 52 weeks; the last 13 are unpaid unless your employer offers more.
The short version
- How long
- 39 weeks of pay, from up to 52 weeks of leave.
- How much
- Ninety per cent of average weekly earnings for six weeks, then the lower of the flat rate or 90%.
- Qualifying
- 26 weeks' service by the fifteenth week before the due date.
- Keeping in touch
- Up to ten days worked without losing pay for that week.
- If you do not qualify
- Maternity Allowance may apply instead, claimed through Jobcentre Plus.
How to use the maternity pay calculator
- Enter your average weekly earnings Gross, averaged over the eight weeks ending with the 15th week before your baby is due. That specific window is what the statute uses.
- Read the two rates The first six weeks and the following 33 are paid differently. The result shows both, and the total across all 39.
- Check your contract Many employers offer enhanced maternity pay — full pay for a period, or a lump sum on return. Statutory pay is the floor.
- Consider the tax position Maternity pay is taxable and subject to National Insurance like ordinary earnings, so what reaches your account is less than the figures here.
Worked examples
Common questions
Do I qualify for statutory maternity pay?
You need 26 weeks of continuous service by the 15th week before your baby is due, and average weekly earnings at or above the lower earnings limit. If you do not qualify, Maternity Allowance may be available instead — it is paid by the government rather than your employer.
Why are the first six weeks higher?
Because they are uncapped. They are paid at 90% of your actual average weekly earnings with no ceiling, while the following 33 weeks are capped at the standard rate. For anyone earning above that rate, the first six weeks are worth substantially more.
How long is maternity leave?
Up to 52 weeks, regardless of how long you have worked there. Statutory pay covers 39 of those, so the final 13 weeks are unpaid unless your employer offers more.
Is maternity pay taxed?
Yes. It is treated as earnings, so income tax and National Insurance are deducted as normal. Because your income for the year is likely lower, you may end up owed a refund.
Can I share the leave?
Yes. Shared parental leave allows you to convert most of your maternity leave and pay so a partner can take it instead. Up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay can be shared.
Does holiday build up while I am off?
Yes. Statutory holiday continues to accrue throughout maternity leave, and it must be paid or taken.
Can I work during maternity leave?
Up to ten keeping-in-touch days, without losing statutory maternity pay for that week. Past ten, you lose a week’s pay for each further week in which you work. Both sides have to agree to them; neither can insist.
Is there an alternative if I am not eligible?
Maternity Allowance may apply instead, claimed through Jobcentre Plus rather than your employer. Its qualifying conditions are wider, covering the recently self-employed and people who changed jobs during pregnancy.
What the terms mean
- Statutory maternity pay (SMP)
- 39 weeks of pay: 90% of average weekly earnings for six weeks, then the lower of the flat rate or 90%.
- Qualifying week
- The fifteenth week before the week the baby is due. Service and earnings are both tested against it.
- Average weekly earnings
- Gross pay over the eight weeks or two months ending with the qualifying week. A rise in that window raises the figure.
- Keeping-in-touch days
- Up to ten days you can work during maternity leave without losing pay for that week. Both sides have to agree to them.
- Maternity Allowance
- A payment from Jobcentre Plus for people who do not qualify for SMP, with wider conditions covering the recently self-employed.
- Ending maternity leave early to share the remaining leave and pay with the other parent — up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 of pay.
Guides on this subject
-
Maternity and paternity pay: what you actually get
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How much holiday am I entitled to? UK statutory annual leave explained
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UK tax codes explained: what 1257L, BR, D0, 0T and K codes mean
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