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Maternity & paternity pay calculator
What your income actually looks like month by month through parental leave: 2026/27 statutory maternity pay, employer top-ups, the unpaid tail, and your partner’s two weeks.
2026/27 statutory rates. Assumes the employer top-up includes SMP (the usual setup) rather than being paid on top of it, and that you meet the 26-weeks-of-service test. Figures are gross: tax and NI come off through PAYE as normal.
Total over 9 months of leave (gross)
£9,736
£14,264 less than your normal £24,000 for the same months
| Month | Paid as | Gross |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1 | SMP | £2,215 |
| Month 2 | SMP | £1,496 |
| Month 3 | SMP | £972 |
| Month 4 | SMP | £777 |
| Month 5 | SMP | £777 |
| Month 6 | SMP | £972 |
| Month 7 | SMP | £777 |
| Month 8 | SMP | £777 |
| Month 9 | SMP | £972 |
First 6 weeks at 90% of average earnings (£553.85/week), then £194.32/week up to week 39. These are gross figures; PAYE tax and NI are deducted before it lands in your account.
Planning the family budget around this? Budget planner and the childcare cost calculator cover what comes next.
Common questions
- What is the difference between SMP and Maternity Allowance?
- Statutory Maternity Pay comes from your employer and needs 26 weeks of service plus average earnings of at least £129 a week. Maternity Allowance is the government fallback for people who do not qualify, including the recently self-employed, claimed through Jobcentre Plus. The headline weekly amount is similar but the eligibility tests and the claim route are completely different.
- Can both parents share the leave?
- Yes, through Shared Parental Leave: the mother can convert untaken maternity leave and pay into leave either parent can use, in blocks. The rules around notice and eligibility are fiddly and this calculator does not model SPL, so check gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay before committing to a plan.
- Is maternity pay taxable?
- Yes. SMP, paternity pay and any employer top-up are all taxed through PAYE like normal salary, with income tax and National Insurance deducted before you are paid. Because your income drops, the deductions shrink too, and many people pay little or no tax in the SMP-only months once their personal allowance is spread over the year.
- What are KIT days?
- Keeping in Touch days let you work up to 10 days during maternity leave without ending it or losing that week's SMP. Pay for KIT days is whatever you agree with your employer. They are optional on both sides; your employer cannot require them and you cannot insist on them.
- Can my employer claw back enhanced maternity pay?
- Often, yes. Many enhanced schemes require you to repay some or all of the top-up (never the SMP itself, which is yours regardless) if you do not return to work for a set period, commonly 3 to 12 months. Read the policy wording before you rely on the enhanced months in your budget.
- What happens after week 39?
- Statutory pay stops. You can stay on maternity leave for up to 52 weeks, but weeks 40 to 52 are unpaid unless your employer's scheme says otherwise, which is why a 12-month plan usually needs savings to bridge the last 3 months.
Once you are back, nursery fees become the big line item: the childcare cost calculator works out the real monthly bill after free hours, and the budget planner helps you stretch the leave months in between.