Statutory Maternity Pay calculator
Rates for tax year 2026/27, for employees in the UK. Shows Statutory Maternity Pay for each of the 39 weeks and in total, from average weekly earnings.
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Statutory Maternity Pay in total
£9,113over 39 weeks
- A week, weeks 1 to 6
- £450.00
- A week, weeks 7 to 39
- £194.32
- Average a week
- £233.66
£450.00 a week for the first 6 weeks, then £194.32 a week for the next 33. Income tax and National Insurance are taken from it like pay.
Under 2027/28 this result cannot be shown yet: The 2027/28 weekly rate is published in the winter before the tax year.
The working
| Line | Rate | On | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £500.00 | ||||
| Average pay before tax over the weeks an employer looks at before the qualifying week: £500.00 a week. | ||||
| £129.00 | gov.uk | |||
| £500.00 a week is at least the £129.00 needed. | ||||
| 90% | £500.00 | £2,700.00 | gov.uk | |
| 90% of £500.00 is £450.00 a week, with no upper limit. 6 weeks × £450.00 = £2,700.00. | ||||
| £6,412.56 | gov.uk | |||
| The lower of the £194.32 weekly rate and 90% of earnings (£450.00) is £194.32 a week. 33 weeks × £194.32 = £6,412.56. | ||||
| £9,112.56 | ||||
| £2,700.00 + £6,412.56 = £9,112.56, before income tax and National Insurance. | ||||
How this is calculated
- Earnings test. Average weekly earnings before tax are compared with the £129 a week needed to qualify.
- Weeks 1 to 6. 90% of average weekly earnings, with no upper limit.
- Weeks 7 to 39. The lower of £194.32 and 90% of average weekly earnings.
- Total. The two added together, before income tax and National Insurance.
A weekly amount with a fraction of a penny is rounded up to the next penny, as the Statutory Maternity Pay regulations require. The other rounding conventions are in the methodology.
Rules used
- Tax year
- 2026/27 (6 April 2026 to 5 April 2027)
- Nation
- England and Northern Ireland
- Figures
- Checked between 7 November 2026 and 9 November 2026. Status: in force.
- Next scheduled change
- 6 April 2027
- Every figure
- Rates and allowances for 2026/27, each with its source and the date it was checked.
- Sources used
- Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027, checked 7 November 2026
- Pay, checked 9 November 2026
- Eligibility, checked 9 November 2026
What changes on 6 April 2027
None of the figures this result uses changes on that date, as far as 2027/28 has been announced.
Not yet set for 2027/28: Statutory maternity pay, weekly after the first six weeks; Statutory maternity pay, average weekly earnings needed to qualify.
Switch the tax year in the form to see the result under 2027/28 as announced so far. The Budget 2026 page lists every measure, including those that do not touch this result.
What this does not do. It takes average weekly earnings as entered and applies one tax year's rates to all the weeks, so it does not model a pay period that runs across 5 April, a pay rise during the leave, the qualifying week dates, Maternity Allowance, an employer's own scheme or the tax deducted. It never suggests when to start leave.
Questions people ask
- How much is Statutory Maternity Pay in 2026/27?
- 90% of average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks, with no upper limit, then £194.32 a week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, for the next 33 weeks. On £300 a week that is £270.00 a week for 6 weeks and £194.32 a week for 33, £8,032.56 in total.
- How long is Statutory Maternity Pay paid for?
- Up to 39 weeks. It usually starts when maternity leave starts, and is paid in the same way as wages, monthly or weekly. Maternity leave itself can run longer than the paid weeks.
- How much do I need to earn to get Statutory Maternity Pay?
- An average of at least £129 a week before tax in 2026/27. The other conditions are a period of continuous work for the same employer running into the qualifying week, which falls before the week the baby is due, and giving the correct notice with proof of the pregnancy. Someone who does not qualify may be able to get Maternity Allowance instead.
- Is Statutory Maternity Pay taxed?
- Yes. It is paid through the payroll like wages, and income tax and National Insurance are deducted from it. The figures here are before those deductions. Whether any tax is due depends on total pay for the tax year.
- What is the most Statutory Maternity Pay I can get?
- There is no limit for the first 6 weeks: the rate is 90% of average weekly earnings whatever they are. After that the weekly rate of £194.32 applies to anyone whose average weekly earnings are £215.91 or more. An employer's own maternity scheme can pay more than the statutory amount. Weeks of maternity pay not taken can be used as Statutory Shared Parental Pay, up to 37 weeks between both parents.
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