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.
Names and Family Data Desk, BabyData
BabyData's editorial desk builds and documents the tools, citing the underlying rule and the official UK dataset behind every number. Pregnancy-related tools are editorially reviewed against NHS and gov.uk guidance before publication.
Last reviewed: 12 June 2026