Maternity pay calculator
The full 39-week SMP picture from one number — 90% for six weeks, then £194.32 or 90% (whichever is lower) for thirty-three more.
Gross, averaged over the 8 weeks up to the qualifying week
Statutory Maternity Pay (39 paid weeks)
£9,220.56
Weeks 1–6: £468.00/week (90% of earnings) = £2,808.00
Weeks 7–39: £194.32/week (the £194.32 statutory rate) = £6,412.56
Leave can run 52 weeks — the final 13 weeks are unpaid.
Statutory minimum — enhanced (occupational) maternity pay can be more generous. Eligibility also requires 26 weeks' continuous service by the qualifying week. Guidance, not legal advice.
Maternity pay questions, answered plainly
How much is Statutory Maternity Pay in 2026-27?
SMP runs for 39 weeks: the first 6 weeks at 90% of average weekly earnings with no cap, then 33 weeks at £194.32 a week (or 90% of earnings if that is lower). Someone averaging £600 a week gets £540/week for 6 weeks, then £194.32/week for 33 weeks — about £9,652 in total.
Who qualifies for SMP?
An employee who has worked for the same employer for at least 26 continuous weeks into the qualifying week (the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth) and averages at least £129 a week in earnings. Below the earnings threshold, Maternity Allowance from the DWP is usually the alternative.
Is maternity leave 39 weeks or 52 weeks?
Leave and pay are different things: statutory maternity leave is up to 52 weeks, but SMP covers only the first 39. The final 13 weeks of leave are unpaid unless the employer’s own scheme says otherwise.
What about paternity and shared parental pay?
Statutory Paternity Pay and Shared Parental Pay use the same weekly figure — £194.32 or 90% of earnings, whichever is lower. Shared Parental Leave lets parents split up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 of pay between them. The same £129 earnings test applies.
Can employers reclaim SMP?
Yes — employers recover most or all of statutory parental payments from HMRC through the EPS (Employer Payment Summary) each month, with small employers able to recover more. The exact recovery percentages are on GOV.UK’s employer rates page.
Verified against GOV.UK — maternity pay on 5 July 2026. All 2026-27 figures on our statutory rates page.
Statutory pay, handled inside payroll.
Blankitt HR calculates SMP, SPP, ShPP and SSP in the pay run and recovers them on the EPS — statutory leave recorded once, paid correctly, filed properly.