Maternity Pay Calculator
Calculate your Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) for 2025/26. See your week-by-week pay, compare SMP vs Maternity Allowance, and plan your budget with monthly take-home estimates including tax and National Insurance.
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How to Use This Calculator
SMP Calculator tab
Enter your annual gross salary to calculate your Statutory Maternity Pay week by week. The calculator shows 6 weeks at 90% of your average weekly earnings (AWE), then 33 weeks at the lower of 90% AWE or £187.18/week (the 2025/26 flat rate). If your employer offers enhanced maternity pay, enter the number of enhanced weeks and rate to see the difference. Both gross and estimated net (after tax and NI) figures are shown.
Take-Home During Maternity tab
See how your monthly income changes during each month of maternity leave. Enter your salary, monthly essential costs, and current savings. The calculator compares your normal take-home pay against SMP income month by month, showing any shortfall and how much savings you need to bridge the gap.
SMP vs MA vs Enhanced tab
Compare three scenarios side by side: Statutory Maternity Pay (for employed), Maternity Allowance (for self-employed or those who don't qualify for SMP), and enhanced employer maternity packages. See the total gross and net for each option to understand which applies to you and how much you'll receive.
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The Formula
Statutory Maternity Pay is calculated based on your average weekly earnings (AWE):
Weeks 1-6: 90% × AWE (no cap)
Weeks 7-39: Lower of (90% × AWE) or £187.18/week
Weeks 40-52: Unpaid (optional leave)
Total Gross SMP = (6 × 90% × AWE) + (33 × min(90% × AWE, £187.18))
Net SMP = Gross SMP − Income Tax − National Insurance
(SMP is taxable income; your employer deducts tax and NI as normal)
Maternity Allowance (for self-employed or those not qualifying for SMP) is paid at the lower of 90% of AWE or £187.18/week for 39 weeks. Unlike SMP, Maternity Allowance is not taxable and no National Insurance is deducted.
To qualify for SMP, you must have been employed by the same employer for at least 26 continuous weeks by the 15th week before your expected due date (the "qualifying week"), and your average weekly earnings must be at or above the Lower Earnings Limit of £125/week (£6,500/year for 2025/26).
Example
Fiona — Marketing Manager, 31, Edinburgh
Fiona earns £35,000/year and her employer offers 6 weeks at full pay plus statutory SMP for the remaining weeks. She wants to understand her income during 9 months of maternity leave.
SMP Calculator tab
Fiona's total gross SMP of £9,812 over 39 weeks compares to her normal gross pay of £26,250 for the same period — a reduction of roughly £16,438. Since her SMP total falls below the £12,570 personal allowance (assuming no other income that year), she pays no income tax on it.
Take-Home During Maternity tab
Fiona's normal monthly take-home is about £2,370. During months 1-2, her take-home from SMP is approximately £2,625/month (90% AWE period). From month 2 onward, it drops to about £811/month at the flat rate. With monthly costs of £1,800, she needs around £6,000-£7,000 in savings to cover the shortfall comfortably.
Comparison tab
For Fiona, SMP provides more than Maternity Allowance because her first 6 weeks at 90% AWE exceed the flat rate. If her employer offered 6 enhanced weeks at full pay, she would receive an extra £402 over the 39-week period.