Skip to content
calculatorzone
UK · 2025/26

Maternity Pay Calculator

Calculate your Statutory Maternity Pay for 2025/26. See your weekly SMP, total entitlement, and how enhanced employer pay affects your income during maternity leave.

Last reviewed: 18 June 2025Source: Bank of England — Statistics
Maternity Pay Calculator · UKSalary & Payroll

Weeks 1-6 Weekly Pay

£450.00

Weeks 7-39 Weekly Pay

£184.03

Total SMP

£8,772.99

Enhanced Pay

£0.00

Total Maternity Pay

£8,772.99

Monthly Average

£974.03

Rates & sources

Standard amortisation formulas used across UK lenders. Interest rates move daily — confirm with your lender or broker.

Source: Bank of England — Statistics — figures refreshed at the start of each tax year.

Upgrade · £9.99

Full 2025/26 tax summary as a PDF

A personalised 4-page report with your band breakdown, NI, pension relief and sources — delivered to your inbox. No subscription.

When to use this calculator

  • Before comparing lenders, brokers, or repayment options.
  • When you want to test how a different deposit, rate, or term changes affordability.
  • When you need a quick estimate before using a formal quote or agreement in principle.
  • When you are stress-testing your budget against a potential rate rise to see the impact on monthly payments.
  • When you want to understand the full cost of borrowing — not just the monthly figure — before you commit.

A realistic UK planning example

Use these sample inputs as a quick scenario test, then change one variable at a time to compare outcomes.

Average Weekly Earnings (£)

25 years

Total Maternity Leave

39 weeks (SMP period)

Enhanced Maternity Pay from Employer?

No - Statutory only

After entering these figures, review weeks 1-6 weekly pay, weeks 7-39 weekly pay and total smp together rather than in isolation — each metric tells a different part of the story. Then rerun the tool with one input adjusted to see which variable has the biggest effect on all three outputs before you settle on a plan.

How to read your results

Weeks 1-6 Weekly Pay

Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.

Weeks 7-39 Weekly Pay

Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.

Total SMP

This is the headline outcome of the calculation, but it is most useful when read alongside the supporting metrics below it rather than in isolation. Try changing one input at a time and watching how this total moves to understand which driver has the biggest impact.

Enhanced Pay

Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.

Total Maternity Pay

This is the headline outcome of the calculation, but it is most useful when read alongside the supporting metrics below it rather than in isolation. Try changing one input at a time and watching how this total moves to understand which driver has the biggest impact.

Monthly Average

Use this metric to compare scenarios side by side and understand how changes in the key inputs drive the final outcome. If the figure surprises you, isolate one variable at a time and rerun the calculation to identify which assumption is responsible.

Method & assumptionsAuthoritative sources

This calculator estimates your maternity pay based on 2024/25 Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) rates. For the first six weeks of leave, SMP is set at 90% of your average weekly earnings (AWE), with no upper cap. From weeks 7 to 39, you receive the lower of £184.03 per week or 90% of your AWE. If your employer offers enhanced pay — for example, full salary for the first four, eight, or twelve weeks — the calculator applies that arrangement first, then applies SMP rules for the remaining weeks within the 39-week qualifying window. Average weekly earnings are normally calculated from payslips covering the eight weeks ending before the 15th week before your due date.

Weeks 40 to 52 (Additional Maternity Leave) are unpaid unless your employer has a contractual policy to extend pay beyond the statutory period. The monthly average figure shown is based on total pay divided by the leave duration in months, using a 4.33-week month. All figures are gross, before deductions for income tax and National Insurance. The lower earnings limit (£123/week in 2024/25) must be met for SMP eligibility; if you earn below this threshold, consider claiming Maternity Allowance through the DWP instead.

Common mistakes

  • !Mixing up loan amount and property value, which can distort affordability and LTV.
  • !Using a headline rate but forgetting fees, insurance, taxes, or repayment type.
  • !Testing only one term length instead of comparing the payment and total cost together.
  • !Forgetting that a repayment mortgage and an interest-only mortgage produce very different monthly figures and total costs.
  • !Not accounting for the impact of a rate revert after an introductory fixed period ends, which can sharply increase payments.

What to do next

  • Run a second scenario with a higher rate or shorter term so you can see the downside clearly.
  • Compare the result with an affordability or overpayment calculator before applying.
  • Use the related guides below to understand trade-offs before you request live quotes.
  • Note down the monthly payment and total interest for your two or three strongest scenarios so you have a clear comparison ready when you speak to a broker.
  • Check whether making a modest overpayment each month would reduce total interest significantly — run the overpayment calculator next to find out.

Frequently asked

SMP is paid at 90% of your average weekly earnings for the first six weeks. For weeks 7 to 39, you receive whichever is lower: £184.03 per week or 90% of your average weekly earnings. Your average weekly earnings are based on the eight weeks of pay before the 15th week before your baby is due. You must earn at least £123 per week (the lower earnings limit) to qualify. SMP is paid by your employer, who can reclaim most of it from HMRC.

Use arrow keys to navigate items, Enter or Space to expand/collapse.