Maternity Pay Calculator
Work out your Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance, week by week, using the current gov.uk rates.
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How to use this calculator
This estimates statutory pay only — not any extra contractual or enhanced maternity pay your employer might offer.
Pick your pathway
Employed people check Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP). Self-employed people, or anyone who doesn’t meet the SMP tests, check Maternity Allowance instead.
Enter your average weekly earnings
Roughly what you earn per week before tax, averaged over about 8 weeks up to your qualifying period.
See your week-by-week rate
SMP’s first 6 weeks are uncapped at 90% of earnings — the calculation changes after that.
Statutory Maternity Pay
How SMP is worked out
SMP is paid for up to 39 weeks. The first 6 weeks are paid at 90% of your average weekly earnings, with no upper cap. The remaining 33 weeks are paid at whichever is lower: the flat statutory rate of £194.32 a week (from 5 April 2026), or 90% of your average weekly earnings — so lower earners stay on 90% throughout, while higher earners’ pay drops to the flat rate after week 6.
To qualify, you need at least 26 weeks’ continuous employment with the same employer, continuing into the “qualifying week” (the 15th week before your expected week of childbirth), and average weekly earnings of at least £129 (the Lower Earnings Limit). You must tell your employer you’re pregnant by the end of that 15th week, and give at least 28 days’ notice of when you want SMP to start.
If you don’t qualify for SMP
Maternity Allowance
Maternity Allowance (MA) is paid by the government rather than your employer — typically for self-employed people, or anyone who doesn’t meet the SMP employment or earnings tests. The rate is £194.32 a week or 90% of your average weekly earnings, whichever is lower — there’s no separate uncapped first-6-week tier like SMP has. It’s paid for up to 39 weeks.
To qualify, you need to have been employed or self-employed for at least 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before your baby is due, earning at least £30 a week on average in at least 13 of those weeks (they don’t need to be consecutive). Self-employed people who haven’t paid enough Class 2 National Insurance get a reduced rate of £27 a week instead of the standard calculation.
Tax and leave
What’s taxed, and how much leave you get
SMP is treated like normal wages — Income Tax and National Insurance are deducted as usual. Maternity Allowance is different: it’s tax-free and not subject to National Insurance at all, since it’s a state benefit rather than employer-paid earnings.
Statutory Maternity Leave itself runs up to 52 weeks (26 weeks Ordinary Maternity Leave plus 26 weeks Additional Maternity Leave) — since only 39 of those weeks are paid, the final 13 weeks are unpaid unless your employer offers something extra.
Questions
Common questions
Why does my rate drop after 6 weeks?
That’s how SMP is designed — only the first 6 weeks are uncapped at 90% of your earnings. From week 7, you’re paid the lower of the flat £194.32 rate or 90% of your earnings, so anyone earning more than about £216 a week sees their weekly pay drop to £194.32 from week 7 onward.
What if I don’t meet the 26-week employment test?
You won’t qualify for SMP, but you may still be able to claim Maternity Allowance from the government instead — switch the “which applies to you” option above to check your estimate under those rules.
Does my employer or the government pay this?
SMP is paid by your employer (who can usually reclaim most or all of it from HMRC). Maternity Allowance is paid directly by the government through the Department for Work and Pensions, which is also why it’s taxed differently.
Can I get more than the statutory amount?
Yes, if your employer offers enhanced or contractual maternity pay on top of the statutory minimum. This calculator only estimates the statutory entitlement — check your contract or ask your employer about any additional scheme.
How is my average weekly earnings figure worked out?
It’s based on what you were actually paid (not necessarily what you earned) over a period of at least 8 weeks up to and including your last payday before the end of your qualifying week. If your pay varies, use a realistic average from recent payslips.
Where these figures come from. Statutory Maternity Pay and Maternity Allowance rates, eligibility tests, the Lower Earnings Limit and the tax treatment are all taken from gov.uk. The £194.32/week statutory rate applies from 5 April 2026; the £129 Lower Earnings Limit applies from 6 April 2026. Figures checked on 24 September 2026.
Maternity pay and leave (gov.uk) · Maternity Allowance (gov.uk) · Rates and thresholds for employers 2026/27 (gov.uk) · Redundancy Pay Calculator
How we calculate · Editorial policy. This is general information, not legal or financial advice.