Maternity leave calculator
Work out your UK maternity leave dates, when to tell your employer, and how much Statutory Maternity Pay you could get.
Dates
Everything is worked out from the expected week of childbirth, the Sunday-to-Saturday week the baby is due.
The date on the MATB1 certificate.
Can be from Sun, 24 Jan 2027. Defaults to 2 weeks before the due date.
Optional. Checks the 26 weeks of service needed for SMP.
Pay
Average gross earnings before tax, usually over the 8 weeks up to the qualifying week.
Statutory Maternity Pay over 39 weeks
£9,735.66
Before tax, on £615.38 a week
- Weeks 1 to 6
- £553.85/wk
- Weeks 7 to 39
- £194.32/wk
Key dates
- Tell your employer by
- Earliest leave start
- Leave starts
- Ordinary leave ends
- Last day of SMP
- Leave ends
- Back at work
- Expected week of childbirth
- Qualifying week
- Employed by, for SMP
- Lower Earnings Limit
- £129.00/wk
Uses the 2026 to 2027 standard rate of £194.32 a week. Many employers pay more than SMP.
How maternity leave works
Employees in the UK can take up to 52 weeks of Statutory Maternity Leave, however long they have worked for their employer. The first 26 weeks are Ordinary Maternity Leave and the last 26 are Additional Maternity Leave. Up to 39 weeks of it can be paid as Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP).
The key dates all count back from the expected week of childbirth: the week, Sunday to Saturday, that the baby is due.
| Date | When |
|---|---|
| Qualifying week | 15th week before the expected week. You need 26 weeks of service into this week for SMP. |
| Tell your employer | By the end of the qualifying week |
| Earliest leave start | Start of the 11th week before the expected week |
| Automatic start | A pregnancy-related absence in the 4 weeks before the expected week |
| Leave ends | 52 weeks after it starts |
How Statutory Maternity Pay is calculated
Weeks 1 to 6 = 90% of average weekly earnings
Weeks 7 to 39 = £194.32 or 90% of earnings, whichever is lower
Average weekly earnings are usually worked out from gross pay over the 8 weeks up to the end of the qualifying week. Anyone earning over £215.91 a week gets £194.32 for weeks 7 to 39. To qualify at all, earnings must average at least £129.00 a week, the Lower Earnings Limit for 2026/27.
Statutory Maternity Pay by salary
Estimated SMP before tax for a full 39 weeks, using 2026/27 rates:
| Salary | Weeks 1 to 6 | Weeks 7 to 39 | Total SMP |
|---|---|---|---|
| £15,000 | £259.62/wk | £194.32/wk | £7,970.28 |
| £25,000 | £432.70/wk | £194.32/wk | £9,008.76 |
| £35,000 | £605.77/wk | £194.32/wk | £10,047.18 |
| £50,000 | £865.39/wk | £194.32/wk | £11,604.90 |
| £75,000 | £1,298.08/wk | £194.32/wk | £14,201.04 |
Enhanced maternity pay
SMP is the legal minimum. Many employers offer enhanced maternity pay, for example full pay for the first few months, under a company scheme. Check your contract or staff handbook. Employers can usually reclaim 92% of SMP from HMRC, or 109% if they qualify for Small Employers’ Relief.
This calculator gives an estimate. Your employer works out your actual SMP from your payslips, and special rules apply if your baby is born early, you were recently employed or your pay changed. The 2027/28 rates aren’t published yet, so any weeks after April 2027 use the 2026/27 rate. Check gov.uk for the rules that apply to you.
How this calculator counts
- Weeks run Sunday to Saturday, and dates follow the gov.uk maternity planner.
- Monthly pay is turned into weekly pay as monthly × 12 ÷ 52, and yearly pay as yearly ÷ 52.
- 90% of earnings is rounded up to the next penny. Tax and National Insurance are still deducted from SMP.
- To count the working days before leave starts, use the business days calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Statutory Maternity Pay in 2026/27?
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Statutory Maternity Pay is paid for up to 39 weeks. For the first 6 weeks it is 90% of your average weekly earnings before tax. For the next 33 weeks it is £194.32 a week or 90% of your earnings, whichever is lower. The £194.32 rate applies from 5 April 2026.
Who qualifies for Statutory Maternity Pay?
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You need to have worked for your employer for at least 26 weeks continuing into the qualifying week, the 15th week before the week your baby is due, and earn on average at least £129.00 a week (2026/27). You also need to give the right notice and proof of pregnancy, such as a MATB1 certificate.
When can I start maternity leave?
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The earliest is the start of the 11th week before the expected week of childbirth. Leave starts earlier if the baby is born early, the day after the birth, or automatically if you are off work for a pregnancy-related reason in the 4 weeks before the week the baby is due.
When do I need to tell my employer I'm pregnant?
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By the end of the 15th week before your expected week of childbirth, tell your employer that you're pregnant, when the baby is due and when you want your leave to start. For SMP, give at least 28 days' notice of the date you want it to start.
How long is maternity leave in the UK?
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Statutory Maternity Leave is 52 weeks: 26 weeks of Ordinary Maternity Leave followed by 26 weeks of Additional Maternity Leave. You don't have to take all of it, but you must take at least 2 weeks after the birth, or 4 weeks if you work in a factory.
What if I don't qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay?
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Your employer must give you form SMP1 explaining why within 7 days of deciding. You may be able to get Maternity Allowance from the government instead, which has its own rules on work and earnings.