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What The Maternity Pay Calculator Works Out
- First 6 weeks: 90% of your average weekly earnings with no cap. Your pay is converted to a weekly figure first (monthly pay x 12 / 52), so GBP 2,200 a month is about GBP 507.69 a week and GBP 456.92 a week of SMP for six weeks.
- Next 33 weeks: the standard rate of GBP 194.32 a week from April 2026, or 90% of your earnings if that is lower. This is the phase where most full-time workers feel the drop.
- Total SMP: both phases added together over the 39 paid weeks. Maternity leave itself can last 52 weeks, but the final 13 are unpaid unless your employer offers more. To qualify you need 26 weeks of continuous service by the end of the 15th week before the due date and earnings at or above the lower earnings limit, measured over an 8-week window before the qualifying week.
- Total weeks of leave (advanced): extend the calculation to anything from 2 to 52 weeks. Weeks beyond 39 carry no statutory pay, which is what the "unpaid weeks" card counts.
- Employer top-ups (advanced): many employers pay occupational maternity pay, typically a number of weeks at full pay and then at half pay, which replaces SMP in those weeks (you receive the higher of the two). The table underneath shows every phase of leave, the weekly amount and who pays it.
- Keeping in touch days (advanced): up to 10 days of work during leave without ending SMP, paid here at your normal daily rate (weekly pay divided by working days). Check your contract, as some employers offset SMP for that day.
- Pay rise during leave (advanced): a pay rise awarded any time from the start of the earnings window to the end of leave must be reflected in your SMP, so the whole calculation is re-run on the higher pay.
- Shortfall vs normal pay (advanced): what you would have earned over the same weeks minus what you actually receive, with the percentage of normal pay you keep. If you do not qualify for SMP, Maternity Allowance from the DWP pays up to the same standard weekly rate for 39 weeks.
- Average per month on leave (advanced): total pay divided by the months of leave, gross. PAYE and National Insurance come off as normal, so the amount reaching your account is lower.
Source and further reading: GOV.UK: maternity pay and leave.