Maternity pay and money
Statutory Maternity Pay is paid for up to 39 weeks under gov.uk rules: the first 6 weeks at 90% of your average weekly earnings, then the next 33 weeks at the lower of the statutory flat rate or 90% of your earnings. BabyData estimates the total and shows the rule. This is the statutory minimum before tax, so check gov.uk for the current flat rate and your contract for any enhanced maternity pay your employer offers.
Statutory maternity pay calculator
Your estimated SMP over the 39 weeks, with the gov.uk rule laid out.
How this is worked out
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) is paid for up to 39 weeks under gov.uk rules:
Weeks 1 to 6: 90% of average weekly earnings
Weeks 7 to 39: the lower of the statutory flat rate or 90% of average weekly earnings
To qualify you normally need to have worked for your employer continuously for at least 26 weeks and earn at least the lower earnings limit. This tool uses the statutory flat rate of £194.32 per week (gov.uk 2026-27 standard rate): always confirm the current rate on gov.uk, as it changes each April.
An estimate of the statutory minimum only. Many employers offer enhanced maternity pay, and tax and National Insurance are deducted from SMP. Check gov.uk and your contract for your exact entitlement.
More money and childcare tools
Coming next: what a child costs
A breakdown of the cost of raising a child in the UK, drawn from the Child Poverty Action Group's annual cost-of-a-child research, plus childcare costs from the Coram Childcare Survey, is being built to sit alongside this calculator. Figures will be cited to their primary source and refreshed on release.
Common questions
How is statutory maternity pay calculated?
Statutory Maternity Pay is paid for up to 39 weeks: the first 6 weeks at 90% of your average weekly earnings, then the next 33 weeks at the lower of the statutory flat rate or 90% of your earnings. The calculator estimates the total from the earnings you enter and shows the rule behind it.
What is the current SMP flat rate?
The statutory flat rate changes each April, so check the current figure on gov.uk rather than relying on a fixed number. The calculator uses the latest rate we have verified and shows it in the working, but gov.uk is always the authority for the live amount.
Do I qualify for statutory maternity pay?
You normally need to have worked for your employer continuously for at least 26 weeks by a qualifying point and to earn at least the lower earnings limit. Not everyone qualifies for SMP, and some people get Maternity Allowance instead, so check the exact conditions on gov.uk.
Is this figure my take-home pay?
No. This is the statutory minimum before tax and National Insurance, which are deducted from SMP. Many employers offer enhanced maternity pay above the statutory minimum, so check your contract as well as gov.uk for your exact entitlement.
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Editor, BabyData
Oliver Mackman is the named editor of BabyData and a director of Best Business Loans Ltd (Companies House 16833937), the company that operates the site. He is accountable for its editorial standards, sourcing and corrections, and requires every number to cite the underlying rule and the official UK dataset behind it, with pregnancy tools reviewed against NHS and gov.uk guidance before publication.
Last reviewed: 12 June 2026